My Name Is
by Puppy von Wolfenstein
Summary: 'Run. Live' is what filled her with determination at first, but then a voice inside her head slowly changed her. Everything was dark, but during her final battle with Sans, she remembers bits and pieces of her past setting her free of her 'sister's' control. Unable to believe she killed Sans, she unknowingly resets. Will she undo the horrible acts she committed or succumb to Chara?
1. Friends y Mama

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 **Prelude:**

 **Author's Note**

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Hello there!

This Fanfiction is rated M. For violence, dark storyline, and dark backgrounds. Also, curse words may be used. Original Story, Game, and wonderful characters belong to Toby Fox.

OC characters are used: Arial (Sans' mother), Florencia/Florence (Frisk's biological mother), Steamy (Grillby's Sister)

Pre-Underground history is involved. No Ships were used in the making of this fanfic, sorry guys. Perhaps the sequels. Reoccuring characters: Frisk, Chara, Gaster, Grillby, Sans, Papyrus, RiverPerson (RP).

Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Updated 5.20.2016 for slight error.

Enjoy my trashy fanfic?

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 **Chapter 1:**

 **Friends y Mama**

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The world spun around her while blood dripped down her forehead and unto her eyes, the thick liquid sending chills down her spine. Although everything up to now had been a blur, there was no doubt in her mind that she had been in this hall before. The golden colored tiles, the roman pillars and the windows… that emblem… This was not the first time she had seen that short skeleton, and something told her it wouldn't be the last. In fact, something about that Skeleton told her that this wasn't the first time she had fought him.

Wait.

Why was she fighting a monster? A monster… monsters…

" _... you're sparing me? finally. buddy. pal. i know how hard it must be... to make that choice. to go back on everything you've worked up to. i want you to know... i won't let it go to waste. ... c'mere, pal."_

The echo of the memory cleared her mind for a brief moment. The small child's eyes widened and she gasped, her ruby red eyes turning a soft brown if for a second before returning to its demonic red. She had spared him, but for some reason, it felt like it didn't happen. She remembered his words… but who was he? More importantly, what _was_ she doing? It felt as though she had woken up from an empty dream, floating in the vacuum of space and time waiting for someone to wake her up. Everything was such a blur…

" _geeettttttt dunked on! if we're really friends... you won't come back."_ Those words felt like a dream that happened, but really didn't, did it? What was going on? She wanted to continue sleeping for some odd reason, but the echo of his voice persisted in her mind.

Friends. Amigos. She remembered that word. Mama said she would make a lot of amigos in the new town. The new town… mama… donde esta mama? Where is mom? Why was her body moving on its own…?

"woah, you look REALLY pissed off... heheheh... did i getcha? well, if you came back anyway... i guess that means we never really WERE friends, huh? heh. don't tell that to the _other_ sans-es, okay?"

Sans-es? S a n s. Sans. That name sounded familiar. Once more, her body began to move, and a voice within her mind spoke, **"He killed us because you decided to wake up and spare him. I told you I'd take care of us, so don't interfere,** _ **sis**_ **."**

Wait, Sans was her friend… right? Why was she hurting her friend? Why was everything so blurry? Why was she alone, and why were there bones flying around? It all seemed to be a fantasy from her Papa's stories. Stories of monsters, cu-cuys (boogiemen), demons and their underground lair called hell. Why was she…

"sounds strange, but before all this i was secretly hoping we could be friends. i always thought the anomaly was doing this cause they were unhappy. and when they got what they wanted, they would stop all this."

Friends. He said it again. This time, she remembered a tall skeleton wearing a red scarf. She remembered how scared she was at first, but seeing these monsters talk and walk like in the stories her father would tell her at night. But those skeletons reminded her of mama, who would dress up for Dia de los Muertos. Yes… mama took her to the festival, and she was so pretty in her bright pink dress full of frills. But then…

"and maybe all they needed was... i dunno. some good food, some bad laughs, some nice friends."

The festival. It was a hazy memory, but she remembered the food, the laughter and the children running around with their skeleton face paint on. She couldn't fit in with the other children, so she clung to her mother. Then… screams? Shouting? Red paint everywhere? Her pink tutu… it got torn. Something told the little girl that this was important, painful, and that she needed to remember. Remember…

" **You don't need them.** _ **You don't need anyone**_ **."** Spoke that voice inside her head once more. **"You've already seen it with your own eyes, haven't you? The ugly world from where we came from. But don't worry… we'll fix it as soon as this monste S."**

Something wasn't right. The girl immediately responded to the voice, **"But Chara… killing is bad. Muy malo. Mama says… she said, to talk. Ella dijo, hablando se entiende la gente, Chara."** (Killing is bad. Very bad. … She said, by talking, people understand each other)

Her vision began to get clearer, and she saw the short skeleton huffing and sweating, but all too soon her vision blurred once more. **"Talking? Little sister, I've been taking care of you. You haven't died, right? You didn't want to die when you fell down. I know what you were running from. I know why you jumped down. I helped you stay alive. Do you think that you would've survived alone? Without MY power? Without me, your sad excuse of a story would have ended AGES AGO!"**

"but now, you've reached the end. there is nothing left for you now. so, uh, in my personal opinion... the most "determined" thing you can do here? is to, uh, completely give up. and... (yawn) do literally anything else."

Everything began to get clearer. It was fuzzy, but she could see the skeleton dozing off. Yes… she had seen him before, sleeping, so comfortably and with ease. The more she stared at the skeleton, the more bits of histories past she began to recall with the skeleton. The hot dogs. Yes! So delicious… and so many on her head!

"heh, didja really think you would be able-"

While she thought to herself of memories past, her body moved. Before girl realized what was happening, the glint of the blade in her hands caught her gaze much too late. **"NO!"** screamed the girl internally as the skeleton bled… ketchup? Yes… Sans loved ketchup. How could she forget?

" **I finally killed him… . . . Just one more monster, little sis."**

"... ... ... so... guess that's it, huh? ... just... don't say i didn't warn you. welp. i'm going to grillby's. papyrus, do you want anything?"

"No… no… NO!" screamed the little girl, her red eyes once more restored to their original brown with tears streaming down her round cheeks. She felt a sudden wind surround her, and her body becoming stronger while the skeleton that had limped away was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, her heart sank and the pit of her stomach felt hallow, her hands trembling as she threw the steely blade in the air, collapsing unto her knees and hugging herself. The voice in her mind spoke to her, but instead of listening she tried to keep it blocked, away from her thoughts. She remembered just enough to know that there were golden blocks with words written on them that appeared when fighting or when thought of. 'Attack' meant pelear. 'ACT' meant… to talk, or hablar. 'ITEMS' was… goodies. And… 'MERCY'… paz. Peace. But then were was another block that her friend, self-proclaimed 'big sister' told her to never touch. 'RESET'. Que era? (What was it?) She could see the block appearing just as she had focused on the word that only Chara used. Chara would use it… and then… everything would go black.

" **Don't you dare."** Snarled Chara inside her head.

"Paz… mi mama queria paz. My mom wanted… peace. What happens if I touch this thing, Chara?" asked the little girl aloud, her fingers hovering above it.

" **Little sis… it's almost over. Just… relax and let me…"**

"No." the little girl whimpered, her hand pushing against the bright golden colored block. Everything began to turn into blocks, a bright light emanating from the block and drawing those blocks into it. Chara bellowed inside her head, and her heart pounded against her chest as everything was sucked into the block, her hand slowly turning into tiny blocks and drifting into the white hole that sucked her in. "Mom… Mama… MAMA!"

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 **Flashback**

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"Mama… MAMA!" screamed the little girl in the pink tutu as rounds of guns fired into the crowd. The festival had taken place in the town square, and now there were black cars with men in black masks shooting into the crowd while shouting orders and shooting whoever ran and were women. Luckily for the mother and daughter duo, they had been by the punch bowl table near the alleyways where they could easily escape almost unseen in the frenzy. Her mother's usually calm expression was grim as her soft hand clasped her daughter's wrist. "Vamonos mi amor, corre, run, run!" (Let's go love, Run) she urged, running as fast as she could with the little girl beside her. "No mires atras! Mi corazonsito, no mires…" (Don't look back! My little heart, don't look) she cried, looking back and making sure no one was directly behind them.

The streets of San Marcus were in a frenzy, and the little girl could only try to keep up with her mother. People were crying, screaming and for some reason she heard her Papa's name, 'Don Pablo' being shouted. Beads of sweat began to build up inside her blue stripped sweater and her blue jeans felt rough against her thighs with all this running; she couldn't help but to wonder why there were people screaming with red paint on them. Or was it ketchup? No wait… whenever she'd get a cut, sangre would come out. Sangre. (blood). "Mama… ellos estan sangrando?" (Mom… they're bleeding?) asked the little girl as her mother came to a stop inside a dark alleyway.

"Si mi amor. No te voy a mentir. Los hombres con las mascaras negras? Ellos son malos. Ellos estan matando a gente inocente. They're… killing innocents, okay? That's very very bad." (Yes my love. I'm not going to lie to you. Those men with the black masks? They're bad. They're killing innocent people.) her mother replied, catching her breath and taking off her heels that made running difficult. The little girl looked down before asking, "They're going to… hell? El Infierno? Papa dice-"

Her mother's eyebrows furrowed with anger, tears silently streaming down her rounded cheeks. "No hables de el, Flor. Mira mi amor, si nos separamos… Tu nombre no es Florencia, okay? Tu ya no eres Flor, Florencia, o Florence. Nunca uses esos nombres! Usa otro nombre, lo que tu quieras pero no uses ese nombre." (Don't talk about him, Flor. Look my love, if we get separated… Your name is not Florencia, okay? You're not Flor, Florencia or Florence, never use those names! Use another name, whatever you want but don't use that name.)

"Otro nombre?" (Another name?) asked the child. "Como… Kitty? Oh… O como Friskies? Kitty le encanta Friskies," (Another name? Like… Kitty? Oh… or like Friskies? Kitty loves Friskies)

The mother laughed softly, her hands cupping the child's chin and kissing her forehead. "Si, Frisk-Frisk, lo que tu quieras." (Yes, Frisk-Frisk, whatever you want.) The mother looked around the alley, spotting broken glass bottles of beer. "Ven. Te voy a cortar el pelo. Es por tu bien… te cresera bien largo pronto, okay? Tenemos que cambiar nuestras aparencias, porque tenemos que vivir." (Come. I'm going to cut your hair. It's for your own good… it'll grow long soon, okay? We have to change our appearance because we have to live)

The little girl looked scared, but listened to her mother nonetheless, watching as long strands of hair fell to dirty cobble stone. Tears swelled on her eyes, and she looked up to her mother who looked back with heartache. "It's okay Flor. See? Mama cuts her hair too," she said in small sobs, her large hands cutting off her long mane that her father loved. Her thick accent didn't make it funny like it usually did. "Vamonos." (Let's go.)

The little girl ran with her mother through the hectic streets, fast high pitched sounds coming from every direction along with blood curdling screams. The girl noticed that they were running towards the forest, and when she looked back she noticed a few bad men in masks following from far away. "Mama, the bad men saw us," panted the little girl, realizing that her mother had turned pale and that she looked scared. "It's okay Flor, mama won't let them hurt you."

Running through the forest was hard, and the girl had fallen several times along with her mother who ran barefoot. Bloody footprints were scattered behind them and her mother looked desperate. The sun had begun to set a while ago, and it was getting darker now giving the lush green a darker shade. The wood creatures of the night began to stir, eyes in the treetops staring down on them and hooting while they painfully carried on in direction of the mountain tops. "Mama, I'm scared. Tengo miedo. Papa said monsters lived in the mountain…"

The mother smiled softly, stopping for a moment to catch her breath. "Los 'monsters' pueden ser buenas personas. Acuerdate que debes de ser una buena niña, porque nadie sabe si eras buena or mala hasta que tu actúas. Cuando hagas algo malo, los demonios te van a ver y los mas mala que seas, mas campo te hacen en el infierno. Pero si eres buena, los angelitos te protegerán de todos los males. Eso si, nunca juzgues una persona por como se apariencia. Mi flor… pero lo mas importante is que tu tienes que vivir. Si yo paro de correr, tu sigues sin mi. Tienes que vivir por mi. Si algo me pasa… tienes que vivir porque yo te protegeré como un angel." (The 'monsters' can be good people. Remember that you have to be a good girl, because nobody knowns if you're good or bad until you act. When you do something bad, the demons see you and the more bad that you are, the more room they made for you in hell. But if you're good, the angels will protect you from all bad things. Oh and never judge a person by their appearance. My Flor… but the most important thing is that you have to live. If I stop running, you keep going without me. You have to live for me. If something happens to me… you have to live because I will protect you like an angel.)

The girl embraced her mother who was crying and kissing her, wondering what she meant by that. But that touching moment was cut short when the mother heard the faint shouts of the men following them. Immediately, the mother began to run once more with her daughter beside her and grasping her wrist, running up the mountain in hopes of losing them. She had heard of the legends… people would get lost and never be seen. She was hoping she could lose these men and never see them again.

The sun had fallen down and in the darkness the mother and daughter ran as fast as they could, but tragedy finally struck them. One of men was catching up, firing his pistol into the darkness. "Para de correr Florencia Gomez!" (Stop running Florencia Gomez) shouted the man. A cry of pain escaped the lips of the mother, her hand letting go of her daughter as she clenched her chest. "C-corre! Vive! Vive!" (R-run! Live! Live!) Shouted the mother as she gasped for air, trying to run. The little girl looked back, her eyes widening as she saw her mother's beautiful dress drenched in blood and toppling over.

The mother looked up, desperation in her eyes. "Corre! Corre, que ya no eres Florence Castillo Gomez!" (Run! Run, for you're no longer Florence Castillo Gomez!) The mother breathed in, but she knew she could no longer carry on. The bullet had passed through her body, and she could feel dizzy from the loss of blood already. She began to cough, watching as her daughter ran in her tutu. The sins of _her_ father were finally catching up to them, but she was not going to let them reach her seed of love. With all the willpower she could muster up, she got up from the rough grass and twigs, her right hand holding the empty space as hard as she could. "Mi nombre es Florencia Castillo! Ustedes pagaran por sus pecados como lo esta pagando Pablo," (My name is Florencia Castillo! You'll pay for our sins just like Pablo is paying for them) She shouted as wet coughs dripped the crimson liquid down her jaw and unto her white traditional blouse. Her vision began to dim, but the lights of their flash lights brought her to her senses once more, looking at three men with their guns locked unto her. **"Mi Flor… tienes que vivir."** (My Flor… you have to live.) She thought to herself as she closed her eyes, her ears ringing from the thunderous sounds and her body jolting back as from the impact, her head striking the ground hard.

"Mama…" cried the little girl, running as fast as her little legs could run. She had gotten a good distance away when she heard the faint shouting of her mother, followed by that hideous sound. "MAMA!"

The little girl ran through the forest, her tutu catching unto trees several times before she took it off as fast as she could, tossing it aside. She looked back and she could see the lights from several flashlights far away. She turned her head and her legs began to move once more but she immediately stopped when she saw the black hole a few steps ahead. "What do I do papa…. Mama…" she asked herself, turning her head when she realized the bad men were getting closer. Her mother's voice resonated within her head, telling her to live, but how? She was only six years old. How could she live without her mother and father? She was already tired. Maybe if she talked with them… No. Her mother would've talked to them. She had to live.

A sudden feeling of dread overwhelmed her, almost as though one of the bad men was right beside her. "Mama…" She took a deep breath, taking a few steps back before once more walking forward and jumping down the hole. She was determined to live. The thought of her mother protecting her as an angel… it filled her with determination. "MAMA!" She cried as she fell, her arms out into the darkness, hoping that she would catch her at the bottom, but instead there was a bright light, almost like a star.

It happened so fast. She fell, saw a light, perhaps her mother? And then the pain on her head and her frail body on the hard dirt.

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 **Puppy Barks:**

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Hey guys. So before I say anything else, 'Puppy barks' is my way of saying author's note.

Now that it was said…

Well, this is my first fanfic. It's not my first time writing stories or anything, but it certainly is my first fanfic. I dunno if I should continue this or not. Comments would be nice. If this gets enough views or a comment I might continue it.

As for the idea of this…

Well, I love Undertale. I attended Anime Matsuri X and I cosplayed !Adult Frisk and I had a really good time, so now, I'm dealing with post con depression I guess. So right now, it's 2:16 a.m. (update: its 3:35 now) and I just finished writing this crappy idea of what my Frisk would be like, what her background would be, and all that jazz.

In case there are a few questions (since I wrote this in the grave yard hours and I'm sleepy, I might now have made sense) here are the basic ideas:

Frisk is not her real name. Florencia (Florence in English terms) or Flor is her real name, but she decided to call herself Frisk.

Chara was controlling Frisk most of the time

Frisk and her family are Hispanic

The day of Frisk falling down is November 1 (Day of the Dead)

In Mexican culture, people pay tribute to the dead by celebrating them with parties, food, and good times. Some people dress in traditional clothes with Calavera facepaint.

Any other questions, etc, please feel free to ask and comment.

Puppy

***P.S. The first chapters are short, then they get long.


	2. Angeles y Demons

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Updated 5.20.2016 for small errors

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 **Chapter 2: Angeles y Demons**

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 **Present (Post Reset)**

The sweat on his skull consumed him as he gasped, his eye sockets opening, his head looking around what seemed to be his room. Yep, definitely his room.

He panted as he relaxed, knowing all too well this was to start once more. He knew that there was more to it, but just the bits of memories that haunted him was enough for him to not want to know any more. Paps. She had killed Paps several times now, and each time he was finding his promise to the lady behind the door harder and harder to keep. But, perhaps what hurt the most was the fact that, that little girl was once his friend. She was everyone's friend. How did that sweet girl turn into a hell-bent demon. Even her eyes had changed—Wait.

Her eyes _had_ changed then. It wasn't his imagination. "…huh."

But what did that mean? Well during their second to last encounter…

His eye sockets closed as he thought back, remembering the moment her expression changed. It had been when he had offered to spare her. He gave her a speech and she…

 _Her eyes widened, the eerie red turning into that wonderful milky brown he remembered, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked around the Judgement Hall in confusion. "W-what… S-Sans?" she asked in confusion, although she was confusing herself—why the sudden act?_

 _She looked down at the knife and she threw it away, a look of horror overwhelming her expression as she looked at her hands. Her body and clothes were full of blood stains and a few bones were stuck on her back—with those innocent eyes, he suddenly felt like this was a mistake. Sans looked at Frisk—No 'Chara' as she called herself now, and how she seemed to panic, staring at him breathlessly and summoning the MERCY button, hitting it desperately._

 _Sans shook his head in anger, how could he forget her sins with that silly act. She was a dirty brother killer._

Now that he thought back with that in mind, their last encounter also strange. He had seen her eyes change a couple of times. And when she caught him off guard… Her eyes had changed back into their brown and she had… cried?

"how could i forget that…" Sans whispered to himself, thinking hard on his last moments. He was agonizing, but in the background, she was shouting and crying. It was… different. Different like, she actually _meant_ it.

Sans stretched in his bed as best as he could, the unsettling memories causing his feelings for the child to resurface. After so many times, he had given up on her, but now, her behavior seemed so genunine, and more importantly, if she had defeated him, why was he back? Was she really remorseful, or was she just that twisted?

"what a drag." Sans breathed out, tired from so many twisted timelines.

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The bright light engulfed her bruised body, and all was well, minus the minor injuries. The little girl laid on the flower bed, unconscious from the fall and depleted of all her energy. Under the moonlight, a dark shadow emanated from her body, beginning to float up and take a humanoid form beside her. "You little _shit_. I had _just_ beaten that stupid skeleton." voiced a demonic humanoid in the appearance of what seemed to be a teenage girl. Her fair porcelain skin shined under the moonlight, and her ruby red eyes glowed with anger and frustration. She looked up the hole, hearing the shouts of men above in search of the girl, running around with their guns shooting whatever creature moved or made a sound in the dark. How absolutely _enlightening_.

Well, at least she had a body to she was able to control, so who was she to complain. Those imbeciles up top lacked both the determination that this girl seeped and the vulnerability she needed. But now that she was back here with time to spare, she wondered just _why_ she was different. On several occasions, children and vulnerable adults passed by but none had the determination she needed to properly wield the power of SAVE and RESET. But here, this girl… she was the motherlode of determination, yet she was nothing like herself. Instead of having the determination of ending both disgusting species in what would be an absolute cleansing of all imperfection, she was a weak girl who preached love and peace. "What makes you so different _, princess_ " growled the girl, narrowing her eyes.

Without a notice, a bright light began to form around the human, a warm glow of tender love pushing back the demonic entity. "A mother's love is one of the most powerful magical bonds. Where we come from, love and peace will set you free. My grandmother taught me that love can cause miracles… I say that this is one that you're ruining." Spoke a woman in a long white dress, her long hair dancing and shimmering in a light that fell over her halo.

"Love? How repulsive… You're the girl's mother. You remind me of Toriel, you nauseating creature. You think yourself a saint, but you're _far_ from it. I only want to exterminate these awful species we call humanity and monsters, full of weakness and imperfections. I was so close, all I needed to do was kill Asgore and Asriel. You should just go die or disappear from our way, Florencia." Snarled the demon voice, dissipating back inside the human's body.

"As much I hate her… she did save you, mi amor. Without her help, you wouldn't be able to save yourself… to save humans and monsters." Whispered Florencia, kneeling down and kissing the back of the head before disappearing into the night.

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The sounds of birds chirping stirred the child, and the light of the morning sun annoyed her to the point of regaining consciousness. When she opened her eyes, the sight of beautiful golden flowers overwhelmed her, consumed by their beauty. "They're pretty… Mama will like th-" whispered the girl, smiling as she did but immediately that smile disappeared. Her body jolted into a sitting positing, looking up and confirming yesterday's past event. She looked down to her bruised and cut arms, realizing she had hit the small tunnel that funneled down to this… cave? Her now short hair framed the sides of her head, and she noticed how hastily her mother had cut it, so short and unladylike. Her Papa would throw a fit if he saw her hair. Ah. Papa. She had to find him. Why did he have to hide far away?

"You don't need him. If he's hiding, it means he doesn't love you." Spoke a beautiful voice coming from behind her. The child turned her head and saw a tall girl of beautiful white skin and rosey cheeks standing there with her hand out. "Hi! My name is Chara! I used to be a human just like you,"

The girl gasped and she smiled, getting up and attempting to shake her hand but she was transparent. "D-dia de los muertos!" screamed the little girl, jumping back when she realized this girl was a ghost.

"Deee-ah dee laas Mu-eerghh-toes, eh? I think I've heard of it. Yeah, I used to be a human just like you, but then _I died_. I feel like… like you're my little sister, and I must protect you from all harm. Do you want to be my little sis?" asked Chara, her smile contagious.

"Sis… sister? Hermana? S-si! Tengo much miedo. Mi nombre es F… " The girl replied, hugging her arms and looking down. She was no longer Flor. Her head throbbed as she recalled her talk with her mother in the alleyway. _'Frisk, Frisk'_ she had said. "…Frisk."

"And so it begins… e."

And without so much as a notice, Chara's body turned into a black mist that without meaning to, Frisk breathed in. "C-chara?" asked the little girl, slowly beginning to walk towards what seemed like a dark tunnel. **"It's okay. I'm inside you, like an angel on your shoulder. Just listen to me, and I'll make sure you never die. In fact, I'll make sure you get to the surface, and then maybe, if you still want to see him, we can pay your Papa a visit."**

The girl began to feel different, her eye lids falling down almost as though they were going to shut close and her lips stiffened. It felt funny walking around her eyes nearly shut, but somehow that small slit was still able to give her a clear picture of everything around her. Thankfully, the dark corridor wasn't long and before she knew it, she stood before a tall roman doorway. Yes… it looked just like the doorways in some of the old roman ruins—Wait. How did she know that?

Oh right. She had vacationed there for a week. She had almost forgotten about that good trip. As the child passed through the door frame, her head ached in pain, probably from remembering. Or maybe from the fall. Or both? As she drifted into her thoughts, she failed to realize that music had begun to play in the background.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower!"

The girl was startled by the talking flower, her heart beating fast as she stared at it bewildered. A talking flower. Was Disney real? This flower looked oddly familiar… Oh No, this…

Was this…

Hell? The place where monsters live…

"Hee hee hee… Why'd you make me introduce myself?" asked the flower with a cute grin on its face.

Frisk tilted her head, her head once more throbbing but this time the immense amount of pain felt overwhelming **. "Hey, don't stress your little head. Why don't you let me take over? The underground is full of danger… I suppose you can considerate hell."** Mused Chara.

" **Take over…? W-what do you mean…?"** Frisk asked while staring at the flower who continued to grin, speaking once more, "It's rude to act like you don't know who I am. Someone ought to teach you proper maners. I guess little old me will have to do."

Eh? But she never met this… flower.

"Ready? Here we go!" cooed the grinning golden flower, a yellow aura surrounding the body of the flower. Then, it happened. Her chest began to heave, and a red aura escaped from within her body and floated on top of her sweater, taking the form of a heart. Her eyes looked around and she noticed a yellow wall surrounding them.

"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why LOVE of course! You want some LOVE, don't you? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!" Flowy explained, winking and sticking out his tongue in such a playful manner. He seemed so nice and yet… something about him scared her. Why was she scared of a talking Flower? Flower. y.

Her eyes widened from that stoic closed, her lips trembling while her head ached with a surreal amount of pain. **"Take over means I'll control your body. If monsters try to hurt you, I can defend us. Wanna try it out?"** asked Chara, her sweet voice sounding almost demanding. Frisk faintly remembered Flowey, but she remembered just enough to know his intention. Should she take up Chara's help?

Just as she was about to accept her help, another painful ache was felt on her head, almost as though someone had hit her with a hammer. Her small hand grasped her hair, and she breathed in, somehow feeling she had to do this herself. **"N-no thanks Chara. I'm… I'm going to figure it out."**

The Flower continued to talk, "Down here, LOVE is shared through. . . Little white . . . 'friendliness pellets.' Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!"

Frisk gulped, moving far to the right in an attempt to try to leave, but the yellow wall was like some sort of force field. Oh right. Why did she forget that? Wait. Why did she know all this?

Her thoughts were once again disrupted by the talking flower whose bright and jolly eyes seemed peeved. "Hey buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?"

Frisk breathed in, watching as the white 'friendliness pellets' came by, but she ran away from them once more, looking at the flower with fear in her eyes.

Flowey's grin disappeared. "Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS! ! !" he bellowed, grinning as he somehow made more 'friendliness pellets' appear. Frisk winced, the word bullets acting as a trigger word that caused a quick flashback of what happened in the festival appear. Her legs wobbled, but she managed to dodge the white bullets once more. It was then that she realized that the music in the background, the music she had ignored, had changed into something that sounded… a little bit scary. Where was that music coming from? But before she could once more drift off into her thoughts, the flower's face changed into a horrible, monstrous one. So. It was a monster. What did Chara call this? The underground? She said it could also be called hell…

"You know what's going on here, don't you? You just wanted to see me suffer." spoke Flowey in a voice that sounded demonic. So this really was hell. **"Mama…"** Frisk cried to herself. **"Let me take over! I'll handle him!"** Chara quickly demanded.

Frisk saw as the yellow walls got closer, and she was stuck in a small space while white bullets surrounded her from outside. "D I E." growled Flowey as she squirmed, her heart beating fast and feeling like she should accept Chara's help, but at the same time, for some reason, she had a feeling that she shouldn't, so, she didn't. Flowey's evil laugh made her tremble as the white bullets passed the yellow wall and made their way towards her. "Mama… protect me." She prayed, pearls rolling down as she closed her eyes.

Flowey's laughter stopped, and Frisk wondered why. When she opened her eyes, which were back to being nearly closed, the white bullets were gone and Flowey looked dazed. From her right side, a fireball danced through the air, hitting Flowey and knocking him into the darkness. He cried out and in the darkness, he wasn't heard or seen again.

Music began to play once more, and she noticed the tall woman in white fur. Or perhaps not a woman. She was a… uh… goat. She was goat. A walking goat, who talked. She seemed real, unlike the mascot suits, so… this really was 'The Underground'. Any other person would have been scared of startled, but Frisk loved it, a part of her childhood charm still intact and believing this to be a sort of fairy tale come to life.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…" spoke the goat, looking into the darkness for any signs of Flowey's return. Frisk stared at her, the tall goat whose shape seemed human in that it looked almost like mom's shape, like an hourglass, just bigger. Her red eyes looked warm, so warm like mama's and short horns… long ears that reminded her of the bunnies in the bunny farm. …Bunny farm? What bunny farm?

"Ah, don't be afraid, my child. My name is Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You're the first human to come here in a long time. Come! I will guide you through the catacombs!" She spoke in a gentle voice that once more, reminded her of mama. She, Toriel, was a good person. Perhaps she will help her? **"She'll backstab you. Trust me, Frisk! Don't you trust your big sister Chara?"** asked Chara as Frisk began to walk with Toriel. **"Chara… thank you, but I… I want to… I want to believe in mama's words."**

As Frisk followed Toriel through the ruins, and through puzzles, she realized just how alike Toriel seemed to Mama. What if the underground wasn't hell? What if its where the dead were? What if the dead took different forms? Mama had often talked about stories of a sort… was Toriel… like her mom? Had she answered her cry for help? She would smile if her lips weren't so stiff, but she felt… odd. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she had a feeling she couldn't shake off, a feeling of… betrayal. But it wasn't directed at Toriel, no… This feeling of betrayal felt like it was crawling on her back. It felt like… she was carrying this feeling around, and at the same time, she felt like she was partially to blame. But blame for what?

"My child," Toriel spoke softly, kneeling down and staring at her. "Are you alright? You don't look hurt, but this band-aid should help that cut on your arm." She asked as she took out a band aid from a satchel she carried. When she had finished applying the band-aid, she stared at Frisk, a warm smile filling Frisk with nostalgia. "T-Toriel… I…" Frisk tried to speak, but she felt her throat constrict and get dry instantly. "…thank you." Frisk managed to say, hugging her in a tight embrace as she took in the scent of… of…

" **Don't get cozy, kid. I mean, sis… monsters will hurt you, just you watch. I'll always be here to lend you a hand,"** Chara stated in a bleak voice, interrupting Frisks' train of thought.

"You're very welcome, child… Um… If you don't mind my asking, what is your name?" asked Toriel.

"Oh." Squeaked Frisk, looking down with that stoic expression that was stuck on her face. **"I'm not Florance… I'm not Florencia… I'm not… Flor."** Looking at Toriel, she whispered, "Frisk."

From within Frisk, Chara seethed in anger. This was the first time Frisk used RESET, and already Chara could see how different Frisk could be, how it was easier for her to remember things instead of falling asleep and shrugging it off as déjà vu. Every time Chara used RESET, it became easier for her to lull Frisk into a sense of security and thereby taking control of her body. The more times she had RESET, the easier it was for her to fall asleep, and the last time… just by fighting stupid Flowey she was able to control her. Ah yes, how easy it was for her to change her name from 'Frisk' to 'Chara'… but this time, she remembered Florence. Her influence over Frisk's memories was not as strong as before, but she was going to make sure she didn't remember him. Damn Sans. Damn that skeleton t l.

"Frisk? Nice to meet you Frisk. Come now, there something I must show you." Toriel smiled, guiding Frisk who had grasped her hand much like her son used to. Asriel…

"As a human living in the underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT. While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time, I will come to resolve the conflict." Toriel explained, noting the look of worry when she said monsters would attack, but her expression changed when she explained about talking to the monsters instead. In fact, her eyes which had been almost closed opened up to reveal a caramel brown, her lips which had been stuck in a line forming a smile. So… this child didn't like violence, bless her heart. "How about we try it on this dummy, Frisk?"

Frisk felt her chest once more heave, and saw the red SOUL pop out, and once more she was surrounded by a tan wall. This time, however, she noticed golden blocks appearing in front of her, glowing like her SOUL. These bricks looked oddly…

" **k."** Chara growled in a low voice which scared Frisk, but immediately, Chara spoke once more, this time in her sweet voice. **"I'm sorry Frisk. It's just that… I feel like you're being deceived. I'll let you do your thing, okay, little sis?"** While Frisk continued her charade, Chara felt herself going insane by how much Sans screwed up her opportunity. Instead of her favorite 'ATTACK' button, it was replaced by Frisk's version, which was FIGHT. It had taken her several tries to change the words. It was stupid to call it FIGHT. It was all Chara did, ATTACK sounded much more… her.

Frisk looked at the blocks, wondering what they meant. Sure, she spoke English like her Papa taught her, but she never really learned to write it… Her hand hovered over the first button, FIGHT, and she looked towards Toriel with panicked eyes pleading for guidance as her hand hovered over the other buttons to see her reaction.

"…Oh." Toriel watched intently, shaking her head with disappointment when her hand hovered above the FIGHT button. Frisk understood and her hand switched over to the next button, to which Toriel beamed and nodded in approval. Then, two blocks appeared while the others disappeared. CHECK and TALK. Toriel smiled, and Frisk experimented, pushing the CHECK. Her eyes immediately looked at Dummy and information filled her mind. Ok. TALK? When she pushed that button, her voice felt strong, and she was able to talk freely. The dummy, however, wasn't much of a talker. The fight ended, and the wall disappeared.

"Very good, my child!" beamed Toriel, taking her hand as they walked, Toriel explaining a few vital words in case she would ever need them. As they walked ever so slowly, Frisk began to open up a little, feeling that weird feeling over her throat ease up the more time she spent with Toriel. Chara had of course protested, but she had quieted down nonetheless. As they walked and talked, Frisk felt herself smiling more and more, happy to have jumped down the hole. The thought of giving up above ground had crossed her mind but now… she felt like she could do this. She could find help, and make friends. Friends…. Mama had wanted her to make friends in the town of… of… the town of… Marplus? No, that wasn't the name. Huh. She'll remember. There's no way she'd ever forget, it's just the head ache that's messing up her memories.

Toriel smiled down the child whose smile had slowly begun to disappear, and whose eyes had begun to fall down back to their stoic expression. What an odd child. "Ah well. I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. Please remain here, it's dangerous to explore on your own. Wait… I have an idea. I will give you a CELL PHONE. If you need anything, just call, okay?"

The child looked at her and she nodded, taking the cell phone into her hands and staring at it with a stoic awe. **"…Julian had one of these… Juju…"** Frisk thought to herself, a fuzzy image of her uncle Juju appearing in her mind before fading. She watched as Toriel left, and she waited there, and waited… and she sat down, and waited.

" **She ain't coming back. Why don't you go look for her?"** Chara asked sweetly. Frisk shook her head, thinking back, **"But… well… I guess… maybe just a peek."**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk exhaled with a refreshing smile as she played in the pile of leaves. For some odd reason, There was a bright little star that always made her feel a lot better, super! Every time there was a bright light, something around it would fill her with an overwhelming determination to carry on. She didn't quite understand, but she understood that if she got hurt, this light would make her feel better. The monsters in the area were friendly once you got to talk to them, heck, they even gave her coins! She had so much fun playing with the monsters—she wished it was this easy to make friends with humans.

Ah. That's right. Human children… where had she seen human children…

" **Hey Frisk, aren't you getting tired of… hanging out with monsters? You've got a lot of coins, why don't we just, find Toriel?"** asked Chara, her voice sounding, bored or tired.

Frisk looked inside the satchel Toriel had given her, finding all her candy, ribbon, and coins. It sure did look like a lot of coins… And then, there was her CELL PHONE. She looked at it, taking it into her hands and dialing Toriel, hearing her voice. She smiled. It sure had been a long time, and she had been calling Toriel periodically. Her voice through the CELL PHONE reminded her of mama, and her eyes began to tear up. "…mom…" Frisk whispered, tears falling as she tried to muffle her sobs.

"Huh? Did you just call me… 'Mom'?" she asked, her compassionate voice echoing in Frisk's ear. Frisk nodded, although she knew Toriel wouldn't see her, and perhaps Toriel wouldn't understand. Frisk was about to apologize, choking up and holding back the tears when her voice sounded again. "Well… I suppose… Would that make you happy?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit concerned. "To call me… 'Mother'?" she asked, her voice sounding like she too was choking up. "Well then! Call me whatever you want!" She happily stated, soft sniffling sounding in the background as she hung up.

Chara gagged, watching their little 'touching' moment. **"Come on Frisk! Let's find her!"**

Frisk sniffled herself, smiling with her eyes semi-closed, running through the ruins until she came to a halt. There was a ghost laying on the floor! Wow, an actual ghost who looked like bedsheets! Frisk had always thought those costumes were silly but now…

He was a sad little ghost, who cried tears. Frisk felt sorry for him, and so she cheered him as best as she could, her heart beaming with joy when he seemed better. As she walked, she came to a Spider Bake Sale, and immediately her hunger took a hold of her. She bought several goodies, packing them inside her satchel and munching on a few as she continued on her quest to find Toriel.

After talking to a Froggit, she came unto a room which had a dying tree, her CELL PHONE ringing. Just as Frisk was about to pick up, Toriel came running to her, worry in her eyes. Frisk's stiff lips and eyes came back, but that didn't stop Frisk from internally enjoying Toriel's surprises. A butterscotch-cinnamon pie! A room! She was so excited internally that she was oblivious to Chara's growing irritation. As she explored the house, she looked herself in the mirror, and realized she looked so… not her. Her beautiful long hair had been cut down so short, that she looked like she could pass for a boy! And her eyes and mouth were stuck in that god awful position, she looked like she didn't have eyes from a distance, just… Giant lines. Her throat felt like it was constricting again, she wondered why she felt so weird. After much exploration, she retired to her room, exhausted from today's adventure.

" **Sleeping so casually, it's almost like you're forgetting about what you went through, huh? I guess I'll just have to swoop in when you least expect it and claim my prize when I do.** _ **Sweet dreams**_ **, brat."**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The snow falling against his skull felt refreshing to say the least. He stood outside the door, knocking every so often in hopes that the lady on the otherside would answer him. He had warned her in the past, but as always she would shrug off his warning. In the previous timelines, 'Chara' would have passed through the door by now, but instead, the doors remained closed. Did something really change this time? If he could recall, the first time he met Frisk…

The first time he met Frisk…

"…heh." He grinned, putting his hands in his pocket. She did take much longer than the new, twisted, 'Chara'.

"…you better not be pulling my bones kid" he muttered to himself, looking up to the sky. He didn't want to go through the crushing feeling again.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy Barks:**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Hey guys. Wow. Um. I noticed the visitor count. Not even 24 hours and its 77 visitors, a fav, 3 follows and a super nice comment. Thanks guys. I actually began writing this chapter when I got the first follow. I thought, well, I guess I'll start on it and finish it sometime next week. Then I got that nice comment and well, ya'll made me determined to finish this chapter which I think is a bit long (not really long by my standards but for others, maybe).

Shoutout to the guest who commented, first follow (IAmBehindYou123) and fav(Chaotic Hero). This chapter is for ya'll.

An update after this will take time, I spent all day typing this out and whatnot, so, hopefully not too long. I guess I'll continue this now xD

Also!

I know I wrote 'ATTACK' in the first chapter, and I forgot to mention it was on purpose. Another thing!

I will try to keep the Paps and Sans essence alive. I will try hard, but honestly from my point of view, Sans seems to be that super serious type when alone, 'specially after all he's been through. Keep your head up high, Sans!

Lastly,

I sorta already know where I'm going with this. I'm sorry if the talking bores you (since I tried to keep it on script to the game. I changed some dialogue once Frisk changes a bit). If this thing is successful, I may follow up with two or three sequels (each their own different alternative post ending.)


	3. She-Demon

*********°*********•*********°*********

Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Upated 5.20.2016 for small errors

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter 3: She-Demon**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Toriel sat on her comfortable chair reading a book as she usually did, a content smile on her face. "Mother… what an odd little child. But why can't I shake the feeling like I've met her before…" Toriel asked herself, putting the book down and checking on the pie. The smell of butterscotch-cinnamon pie filled the kitchen, and after cutting a piece for Frisk, she went about looking for her to find her fast sleep on the bed. She gently placed the plate of pie atop the desk, "What an angel…" she cooed, tucking her in and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. It was then she noticed how her eyebrows were knitted together and how her lips seemed to twitch.

"Ma…ma…" she breathed out, shivering under the covers.

"Ma…ma? Mama… where have I heard that word…" Toriel asked herself, getting up and thinking whilst watching the child sleep, a soothing tune playing as she did. The gentle click of the door behind Toriel immediately reminded her to go check on her **humerus** friend. She giggled softly, walking away from the bedroom door and oblivious to the bright light coming from inside.

As she approached the door that separated her from the rest of the underground, she faintly heard a knock. Ah, had he been waiting?

"Knock knock," she replied, sitting beside the door.

"…who's there?" answered the deep voice behind.

"Abbot."

"…abbot who?"

" **Abbot** you don't know who this is," snickered Toriel, laughing alongside the deep voice.

"heh, that one was good. so uh… been busy lately?"

Toriel nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! A little angel fell down and I've been guiding her around the ruins. She's an odd little bundle, but she's a good apple. I know you're worried for my wellbeing, but this child…"

On the other side of the door, Sans listened in intently. It was only during the first timeline that he remembered Frisk taking this long, but more importantly, it was the first time the lady came by to check on him after his warning last night. It was relief to know she was still there, but what changed?

"This little child reminds me of someone I know. And at the same time, it feels like I've known her, it's weird. She's already made herself home, and I look forward to teaching her how to read," beamed Toriel, laughing softly afterwards.

Sans contemplated her words, his grin growing. "sounds like a **hand** ful. heh. just don't forget about me and leave me a **bone**." And just as expected, the lady busted out laughing.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile in Frisk's room, the angelic being sat beside Frisk, blowing a small breeze unto her temple and watching as her expression relaxed into a smile.

"You're starting to peeve me, Florencia. I thought I told you to buzz off." Growled Chara, her form appearing at the bed post. Her fair chestnut hair looked radiant with the light falling from Florencia's halo, and her rosey cheeks gave her an appearance that Florencia knew Frisk wouldn't be able to understand was a demon in disguise.

"You've corrupted my seed, Chara, and I'm not going to let you do it again without a fight." Florencia responded calmly, her brown eyes piercing through Chara's demonic red.

"Tch. Fight? What are you going to do, hit me with flowers and hope I surrender? Don't fool yourself Florencia, this kid is going to give up. Maybe not now, but in the end, I always have a trump card." Chara gloated, her hand going through her tan colored hair whilst she smirked.

"…Asgore." Florencia sadly whispered, looking down discouraged. "Well, I also have a few trump cards, Chara. You've lost several times to the best one."

Chara's eyes flared up with anger, slowly changing into a black void that reveled her true demonic self. "D..I…E" she snarled, the black mist lashing out at Florencia who only held out her hand. A bright wall of light shielded Florencia while Chara once more dissipated inside Frisk.

"Little Flor… stay strong." She whispered, turning into a white mist and disappearing as well.

Frisk smiled in her sleep, her nightmare of being hit with bones and a beam of blue light replaced by the smell and comfort of hot dogs, her head balancing as many as she could while shadow added more on her head. The more she tried to focus on who the shadow was, the fuzzier the dream got, nonetheless, the feeling of being around this shadow made her feel… safe.

*********°*********•*********°*********

After a long night's sleep, Frisk awoke to the soothing melody that played in the room. Hm… maybe the underground was so magical that music playing in the background was normal, like in disney. She stretched out her arms, scratching her back and yawning, a smile forming on her face. The dream she had…

" **Good morning, Frisk."** Chara happily state.

Frisk looked around the room, but remembered the voice was inside her head. **"Ah. Good morning, Chara. Can you smell what I smell? It smells like… like pie!"** Frisk exclaimed inside her mind, jumping out of her bed and finding the piece of pie. She began to munch on it, savoring the delicacy she had never tasted before. It reminded her of her mama's ChocoFlan, which was chocolate cake underneath flan. Although Frisk understood that she would never be able to taste her mother's ChocoFlan, she was happy to know a pie that tasted so good, just as good as mama's cooking, existed.

" **That pie tastes good, huh?"** Chara asked, sounding almost like she was sick.

Frisk looked at the empty plate, nodding. **"Yeah! Can you… can you taste it? I mean…"**

" **Whatever you do, I see it, I feel it, I smell it, I hear it and I sense it. Unless I'm asleep. When I'm asleep, I dream of nothing but good things. Do you wanna try it?"** asked Chara.

Frisk felt a bad feeling coming from the back of her head once more, and she shook her head. **"No thanks, I have an adventure to look for! I have to… I have to… have to… um…"** Frisk looked down, her heart beating fast. There was something important she had to do. She had to… **"Find Papa! I guess I'm still sleepy, hehehe,"** giggled Frisk, turning on the lamp on the nightstand in the corner of the room, her ears noticing that melody stayed the same, but the sound of it changed. She noticed an empty photo frame, and wondered why it was empty. Nonetheless, she went out the bed room and skipped across the house, her face once more stuck to its stoic expression.

Toriel was sitting in her couch, reading a book when she noticed Frisk skipping. "Well good morning my child, did you rest easy?"

Frisk managed a smile despite the fact that her lips wanted to stay in a line. She nodded when she found her throat once more constricting, walking to the book case and grabbing a book, looking at it with amazement.

"Do you…" began Toriel, putting her book. "…want me to teach you to read?"

Frisk's eyes immediately opened wide, a genuine smile overtaking that hideous blank expression. She nodded enthusiastically, spending the rest of the day beside Toriel.

In the corner of the room, unbeknownst to them, Chara's transparent form stood there, grinding her teeth as she crossed her arms.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Every. Single. Day.

Every single day, she would try to tempt Frisk, and every single day, she would refuse. She would always stay in the corner of the room, or follow her while the other monsters were oblivious to her presence. Every day she would take lessons from Toriel in the morning, and in the afternoon she'd go out and hang out with the locals. Every night she'd fall asleep and Chara would infuse her dreams with nightmares, and every single time Florencia would appear and replace them with sweet dreams.

It. Was. I…N…F…U…R…I…A…T…I…N...G.

Five months had passed. Five. Freaking. Months. By now, Chara could have set herself free and killed most of the world by now. According to the twerp's handmade calendar, today was April 1st. Was this Florencia's doing? Was she actually influencing Frisk into… whatever this was, stalling maybe? For what purpose, even if Frisk resisted, she would give up during her fight with Asgore.

Chara's thoughts were interrupted. "Why does… this look familiar…" asked Frisk's with a trembling voice, staring at a toy knife. Immediately Chara panicked. **"YO! L-let's pay a prank on Napstablook! GOGOGO!"**

The pain on the back of her head persisted, but eventually Chara's 'GOGOGO' broke her concentration. Wait… Chara remembered today was April Fool's Day? Wasn't she asleep…? Had she been watching everything had been doing all this time? Frisk shrugged, taking the toy knife into her satchel in case she ever remembered.

Remembered… wait… was she forgetting something?

Frisk made her way to her home, where a piece of Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie awaited her on the dinner table. The smell of it… ChocoFlan. Ma…ma. Papa.

Chara looked over Frisk, a grin forming. **"Weren't you going to find your dad?"**

"Welcome home, my child!" Toriel beamed, setting down her book. Her smile began to disappear when she noticed that the blank expression returned, her small hands wrapping the pie with a napkin as she put it away into her satchel. "Mom… When can I go home?" she asked, her blank face turning to see Toriel who looked scared for a moment.

"What? This… this IS your home now. Um… would you like to hear about this book I am reading?" she asked, knowing that Frisk would always agree to that question.

Frisk looked down. "How… do you leave the ruins?"

Toriel gulped, her heart beating fast. She couldn't lose another child. "H-how about another snail fact? You love the snail facts,"

Just as Toriel was about to give another snail fact, Frisk shook her head. "No mom… I need to know how to leave the ruins." Was all that Frisk was able to say.

Toriel sighed, closing her eyes as she took off her reading glasses. "… I have something to do. Stay here."

Frisk watched her leave, wondering what was going to do. **"Hey."** Chara greeted. **"I wonder what she's hiding. Maybe she's hiding the exit."**

Frisk looked down once more, her heart beating fast as she walking through the hallway, her feet somehow telling her to go down the stairs she was forbidden to walk through. She gulped, going down the stairs, walking through a corridor. There, she found Toriel who walked so slowly, her head down and looking as though she had been crying. "You" she began, "wish to know how to return 'home' do you not? Ahead of us lies the end of the RUINS, a one way exit to the rest of the underground. I'm… I'm going to destroy it. No one will be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs."

Frisk felt the stinging pain inside her heart, and for some reason this felt familiar. **"I told you, Frisk. She was going to betray you, and you didn't listen to your good sister, Chara. Let me take over, and I'll get you to your Papa."**

Once more, her the back of her head began to hurt. **"N-no. I talked to everyone, so I can talk to mom."**

Frisk followed Toriel, watching as she seemed to be holding back tears. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. You naïve child… if you leave the RUINS"

Frisk gulped, feeling the tense atmosphere between them.

"They **… Asgore** … will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?"

Frisk tilted her head, scared but at the same time feeling loved. Toriel did care about her, didn't she? She really was her Mom, who reminded her of Mama. Mama always protected her, even when…

Even when…

Frisk could feel tears falling, her ears hearing as Toriel choked up while telling her, "… go to your room."

With her head hung down, Frisk smiled, her eyes opening as she remembered how her mama would scold her, but later said, _"Es por tu bien."_ (It's for your own good.) But as much as she loved her Mom, Toriel, her Mama's words meant the world. She had to live. And if she was alive… she had to find a way to find her Papa aboveground. It's true her mama was mad at Papa, but she also loved him so much, as much as he loved them. He had to know what happened, that she was still alive.

"Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning." Toriel stated as coldly as she could, her eyes full of hurt as she watched the human follow behind her with those sad eyes of hers.

*********°*********•*********°*********

From outside the door, Sans knocked, a grin on his face. Five whole months free of evil Frisk, or Chara, whatever she called herself. Perhaps she really did change. Every night, he would talk to the lady behind the door, and every night she would speak about her delightful days with her new child, who would at times call a 'daughter'. Sans would ask casually about Frisk, and from what he heard, it seemed like Frisk was back to being a child, playing around and learning to read. He didn't even know Frisk didn't know how to read.

He stopped knocking when he heard the Lady's muffled voice.

"Hmph. You're just like the others. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive."

Sans was about to ask what was going on, but he heard music… and this music didn't sound like the general every day music. Battle music. "Damn… what's going on…" Sans whispered to himself, his skull against the door.

"I don't want to fight you, mom" Frisk whimpered.

Alarmed, Sans' skull swung to the other side, sweat building up. They're fighting… but Frisk is trying to spare her. She was trying to spare her.

Once more, he pressed his skull against the door, listening intently. He heard Frisk cry in pain, followed by her voice once more. "Mom… please, I don't want to fight you."

Sans held his breath, hearing the battle ensue, but the lady did not respond. He could hear Frisk's heavy breathing—he knew from experience that she was dying.

"What are you doing?" asked the lady, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Attack or run away!" she shouted, causing Sans to wince. **"don't tell her to attack."** He thought to himself.

"What are you trying to prove this way?" asked the lady. Sans smiled, his hands gripping his jacket. **"…she's really doing it… she's sparing."**

Sans continued to listen, the lady catching his attention.

"I know you want to go home… but"

...

"But please go upstairs now."

…

"I promise I will take good care of you here." Sans was suddenly beginning to feel bad for the lady. She sounded so happy when she talked about Frisk, but now, she was trying to leave.

…

"I know we don't have much but…"

…

"We can have a good life here."

…

"Why are you making this so difficult?"

…

"Please go upstairs…"

…

Sans listened to the silence, his heart pounding. Did Frisk actually go upstairs?

"Haha…" laughed the lady with a sad voice.

…

"Pathetic is it not? I cannot save even a single child."

…

Sans closed his eye sockets, his forehead on the door. The lady was so kind, worrying about humans when they were the ones who condemned them to live here in the underground. As he lost himself in his thoughts, once more, she caught his attention.

"My expectations… My loneliness… My fear… For you, my child… I will put them aside." The battle music ended. Sans could feel his shoulders lift up, as though the weight of fear and anxiety was taken off his shoulders for now.

"If you truly wish to leave the RUINS, I will not stop you. However, when you leave… Please don't come back. I hope you understand." Sans could hear how hard the lady was holding back the tears, and he thought that he could hear Frisk crying too.

Well then. He couldn't be caught eavesdropping, so he walked away with his hands in his pockets, his eye sockets closed as usual, humming to himself.

As he walked, he felt something strange and immediately he opened his eye sockets and saw… a bright light. Wait… that never happened. In fact, this seemed to be an anomaly… wait. Another anomaly? That was impossible, unless… "…g-gaster?" he asked, sweat building up, watching as the light began to take form. Was it him? A co-worker? Without giving it a second thought, he summoned his Gaster Blaster, his left eye blue and enraged if only for a moment.

The light's form was… not Gaster. His panic only worsened when he realized this was no one he knew. This was new anomaly, but that was impossible.

"It's great to finally meet you, Sans." Spoke the humanly seeming woman, her brown eyes catching his attention. Her facial structure… looked familiar. "My name is Florencia. I'm Frisk's mother." She quietly stated with an thick accent, her warm brown eyes looking over the skeleton who was stumped and staring back in silence.

"…her mother? …how do you know my name?" Sans began to ask, but grew silent as she had begun to speak.

"I've been watching over Frisk ever since I transferred my DETERMINATION to her. I'm here because a demon is attempting to take control of Frisk again, and thanks to you, I was able to manifest myself in this timeline as what you see. Gaster sends his regards,"

Sans felt himself at a loss of words, his empty eyesockets staring at this woman who claimed the impossible. "…he doesn't exist anymore, and transferring DETERMINATION is…"

"I died, and a mother will do anything to save their child."

"…but DETERMINATION can't… i mean…"

"Sans, there's no time to lose. Quickly, turn back and meet the demon who stands in the way of peace." Spoke Florencia with urgency, her form disappearing. Without giving it much thought, Sans turned around, his blue eye glowing as the world around him blurred and changed into outside the roman pillars, his magic sensing two beings. Normally he wouldn't pay much mind to warnings and such but now… if someone really was controlling Frisk…

The lady never came out from the door, which meant someone was with Frisk, but who…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Post Toriel Battle**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk sobbed, embracing Toriel as hard as she could, flashbacks of the way her mama held her and kissed her head replaying. The goat's fur felt soft against her skin, and although she didn't smell like roses just like her mama, she smelled just as wonderful, like… pie. Her mama had become an angel, and she must be protecting her from heaven now since she has made so many wonderful friends, and met Toriel. But she had to continue on.

Toriel let go, kissing Frisks' forehead before running off, unable to withstand losing another child.

Frisk watched her mom run, dropping her head down before inhaling. **"…nice job kid."** Chara's sweet voice said, somehow sounded a bit… mad? Was it because she refused her help several times during her fight with Toriel? **"Are you okay, Chara?"** asked Frisk, worried for her big sister. **"Yeah, of course I am. I'm just… worried about you, Frisk. I don't want anyone to take advantage of you."** Chara casually replied. **"W-what do you mean?"** asked Frisk. **"I mean, I don't want anyone to take advantage of your kindness, and since you're so naïve, I just don't want you to get hurt because of it… anyways** l **et's go."**

Frisk gulped, her back feeling that dreadful feeling once more. That feeling of betrayal, that she was carrying betrayal on her back and that she was partially to blame. She opened the door, and saw a long floor that lead to another roman doorway. Snow seemed to be falling inside this… cave it seemed, which had an opening on the ceiling that let the snow drift inside. The light shining down the hole revealed a small patch of grass and as she approached it, her heart began to beat fast. Just as she was about to the reach the an open doorway that led to what looked like snow, a flower showed up. Wait…

"Clever. Verrrrryyyyy Clever. You think you're really smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed. So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person. Hee hee hee... I bet you feel really great. You didn't kill anybody this time, but what will you do when you meet a relentless killer? You'll die, and you'll die, and you'll die, until you tire of trying. What will you do then?"

Frisk felt as though her heart would burst and the back of her head was hurting a lot. What if she really did meet someone she couldn't talk to, what would she do then? She did have a hard time making friends… wait, she did? She didn't know why, but she knew it was hard for her to make friends, although it was weird because she became friends with the monsters in the RUINS easily, why was she bad at making friends? The more she thought about it, the less sense it made, it was as though she was forgetting something. From out of the blue, she could hear a voice that wasn't Chara's… it almost sounded… like mama. **"Forgive and keep trying, mi Flor."**

Frisk perked up, wondering if maybe it was a memory of her saying that.

"Will you kill out of frustration?" asked Flowey with his monstrous face. "Or will you give up entirely on this world? … and let ME inherit the power to control it? I am the prince of this world's future. Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide…"

Suddenly, Frisk felt nauseous, her vision going black and her throat and nose burning. Her eyes closed, not that she could see, and then… a sharp pain that sent a shockwave of vibrations throughout her entire body, suddenly getting so sleepy… Flowey looked at Frisk, pausing his speech as he noticed how her head slumped down, her shoulders twitching as a black aura engulfed her.

"Hey A…S…R…I…E…L. Miss me?" spoke a female demonic voice, her head flinging back up and a red glow emanating from her eyes as she winked. In a moment of weakness, Chara took the opportunity to overpower Frisk, noticing that Florencia's influence had made a dramatic decline all of a sudden. Yes… her meddling could be felt but at the moment, it was as though she had disappeared completely from Frisk's body. She knew that this would be brief if her disappearance was temporary and if Frisk tried to fight her control, but having Asriel right in front of her somehow augmented her power.

Immediately, Flowey twitched with a shudder, but he smirked. "My name is FLOWEY." Frisk's body inched towards the flower, her hand going into the satchel and taking out the toy knife. "Remember me now?" she growled, a sadistic smile etched on her face.

"…C..h..a..r..a…" breathed out Flowey.

Frisk's arm was raised and the toy knife was held above Flowey in a threatening manner. "Foolish goat. Your intentions, while pleasing are much too narrow. You never really were DETERMINED enough. You are right about something though, it's KILL or BE KILLED, and out of respect of our history, I will let you live another day. But hey, let's make this a contest… in the end, whoever ends up weaker than the other… D…I…E…S."

Flowey stared at her red eyes, beginning to laugh. "This is _SO_ much more interesting!"

The cackling laughter of demonic voices filled Sans with dread as he stood behind the wall, not wanting to take a peek just yet and reveal himself too early. One of the voices sounded female, and she did not sound anything like his Frisk. **"…what the hell is going on…"** Sans thought to himself, his empty eye sockets focusing on sounds. So, Chara and a Flowey… Sans of course knew who Chara was, she was the evil brother killer he had the pleasure of killing so many times, but Flowey? The two had a history together?

The sound of footsteps coming his way snapped him out of his train of thoughts. Frisks body walked riggedly, swinging from side to side with a toy knife in her hands. Sans silently followed behind, watching the oddity of her movements which seemed so sluggish. "… you know killing with toy knives is very messy, so don't take a **stab** at it."

The body turned, her read ruby eyes filling Sans with desire to kill her now. "…damn it." She growled, the red eyes flickering between that awful color and brown before she spontaneously fell to the floor unconscious. Sans could feel the sweat once more, light returning to his hollow eye sockets as he stared at the limp body. " … what… just happened…?"

So. That lady was right and someone else was controlling Frisk, but how? Who was Chara? …wait.

Something told him he knew Chara, and not from the prior timelines now that he was thinking about it intensely. Perhaps if he thought back… back… further back…

…oh.

…my.

...no… way…

…How could he forget that weird girl. Sure it's been about a millennium give or take but why hadn't he realized who she was. Perhaps a part of him didn't want to remember. He sighed, feeling shame overwhelm him.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback**

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Sans-sy~!" cooed a girl's voice, her red eyes piercing through his skull. Sweat formed at the base of his skull, feeling dread every time he visited the Dreemurrs. The young girl was about Asriel's age, her smooth almost white skin shimmering in the light while her rosey cheeks and chestnut hair gave her the appearance of a dainty girl. Little Papyrus, too young to properly walk, clung to their mother who exchanged jokes and puns with Mrs. Dreemurr.

"…chara, chara no…" Sans began to plead, holding out his hands as the girl practically ran into him, laughing that frightening laugh. "Oh San-sy~! Hehehe~ Come play with me,"

Sans shifted his body back, trying to get some personal space. "i'd rather not," he responded, but as always, her hand gripped his bony wrist and she stared him down with a sneer. "Come on, Sans-sy, I won't hurt you too much," she whispered with a wink, pulling his body as she began to run in direction of the open garden. Asriel watched, his body cowering as he fiddled his fingers, too shy to say he wanted to play too.

"CHARA'S SO PLAYFUL, TORIEL. I'M **JELLY**." Spoke a tall female skeleton who wore a snow white wig that reached her shoulders, the tips of the hair bending up. Her wig was neatly held by headband which sported a purple flower with a yellow center, and which also served as a grip for the shades she wore. Her long sleeveless blue dress was adorned by white fur on its collar, while a long silky red scarf served as her shawl.

Toriel laughed, watching as little Papyrus began to fall asleep while grumbling, probably about the pun. "That was a good one, Arial. Little Chara can be a handful though, she has a strange fascination with sharp objects, I worry about her overcoming her past. She's such a nice little child, I get so upset when she has her nightmares every night."

"WORRY NOT, TORIEL! I, THE AMAZING ARIAL, CAN DEDUCT THAT CHARA'S FASCINATION IS JUST A PHASE. SHE PROBABLY JUST LIKES THE REFLECTION AND SHININESS." Arial responded, her bony hand patting Toriel's shoulder before picking up her jelly toast. Today's brunch menu, as picked by Arial, had been Toast with a hint of Jelly, blueberry jelly to be exact. "DO YOU LIKE JELLY, TORIEL?" asked Arial, sweat forming on her skull. "It's delightful, Arial! You should teach me some of your recipes sometimes," Toriel replied, smiling. Arial grinned, snickering as she responded, "GOOD, GOOD! WE SHOULD **TOAST** TO IT, NYAH HAH HAH!"

Sans dodged Chara's palm strikes, already familiar with the routine. This was her way of 'playing' with him. Perhaps she loved playing with him because it was difficult for her to land a hit on him, and none of the other monsters enjoyed her sense of fun, then again, neither did he. He could see Asriel from the corner of his peripheral vision, a blush on his cheeks as he watched Chara's swift and graceful movements with awe. From what Asriel told him, Chara's family was from a long line of ninjas which explained her fascination with blades. Ninjas… Toriel had once told him that ninjas were spies and assassins aboveground, which really gave him all the more reason for him to be wary of Chara. Everyone that knew Chara, knew that she had run away from her family who had disowned her for bringing shame to their family—what the heck that meant, Sans didn't know. All he knew was that Chara had arrived to the underground full of bruises, cuts, burns and injuries which gave him all the more reason to be wary of humanity. She was just a kid like him and Asriel.

"Gotcha~!" sung Chara, her palm hitting his torso lightly with a smirk on her face, her arm quickly swinging around his shoulders as she clung tightly, her other hand rubbing his skull. Sans tried pulling away, but her grip only got stronger. Out of frustration, Sans used all his strength (and a bit of blue magic) and pushed Chara side; she gasped, stumbling back and falling into a puddle. "C-C-Chara!" yelped Asriel, running to her side and holding out his hand with a blush. Sans' sweat appeared, a blue blush appearing from embarrassment. "…sorry. i didn't mean…" began Sans, but stopped when Chara began to laugh, taking Asriel's hand and standing up. "It's okay, Sans-sy. That's why I like you. You challenge me,"

Sans could feel his blush deepen, his grin getting nervous as his hand scratched the back of his skull. Her flattery was really embarrassing. Why did he have to hang out with her? Asriel seemed just as flustered, holding unto Chara's hand. "W-what about me," he asked with a tremble in his voice. Chara turned to him, winking. "We're partners, aren't we?"

"Chara! Asriel! Come eat your brunch!" called out Toriel with a smile. "SANS, DON'T GET **BLUE** IF WE RUN OUT OF JELLY."

The three children walked towards their respective mothers. Sans looked over his shoulder, watching Chara whose red eyes looked back at him with certain gleam in her eyes when she pulled out a yellow flower.

 **Present**

Sans moved his skull to his side, coming back from that long buried memory. Those were the days. Now that he recalled Chara, he wondered why she became a she-demon if she had made friends here in the underground and had a new family. He had never suspected Chara to be truly evil, just maybe… aggressive. "…heh. just like ol' times, eh, chara? i'm not going down without a fight, you bloody she-demon."

The snow falling from the sky around him soothed his aching skull, his weary eye sockets staring at the limp body of Frisk. His little Frisk had been innocent of all the sins this whole time… It was a relief, but also it was a heavy burden on his shoulders. That woman… Florence or whatever her name was, she said it was thanks to him she was able to manifest. What did she mean? How did she transfer her DETERMINATION? Was it even possible? And… Gaster.

His blue eye appeared, anger smoldering inside of him. No, he didn't exist anymore. No need to bring back ol' injuries. He had to focus on helping Frisk in whatever way he could. If Florence was manifested in this timeline, then that meant she could have contributed to the recent changes. Frisk sure did take her sweet time getting out of the ruins… could that be the answer? Why did that lady disappear so soon?

Frisk's hands began to twitch, her eyebrows moving as she seemed to be gaining consciousness. "…showtime sans." Grinned the skeleton, his blue eye glowing as he disappeared in a blur, appearing further back in the shadows of the trees.

In the distance, Chara's shadow stood beside Frisk, her shoulders slumped down as her red demonic gaze pierced through the shadows in Sans' direction. "Just you, me and Asriel again, huh? Bring it on, _Sans-sy~_."

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy Barks:**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Spring break is here and I have nothing better to do. Do you guys like my rendition of what momma skeleton would be like?

Also, my Chara is a minx, oh my. I thought about what Chara's background would be like… and given that the cutscenes from the game depict spears and swords, I tried to tie in the era. I should start describing Frisks' top side world soon, huh? It's been around 1000 years (definitely more, a WHOLE lot more) since the events of Chara's and Asriel's death, hence my version of the present containing guns. Little Chara's personality and character are… well no spoilers ;3 speculate!

As for Sans forgetting about Chara… Well, would YOU remember someone you didn't entirely like after that timeskip? And going through so many timelines?

Lastly!

I'd like to hear from ya'll. I don't know if my rendition of the story is weird or not, I feel like it is, but I'm awkward like a llama.

I appreciate the nice comments, feel free to give me any feedback though, don't be shy, this is the internet :3

Puppy


	4. Memories and Friends

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

**If you are an impressionable youth with an active imagination, turn back now please. :] If you a mature young adult, you've been warned. It gets dark real quick.

***Updated 5.20.2016

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter 4: Memories and Friendship**

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Frisk opened her eyes, feeling a slight chill even with her sweater on. She was going to get sick again, warned her mama, if she didn't keep warm and eat right. Wait.

Frisk sat up, looking at the white scenery and the brown bark of the trees around her. Oh. That's right. It was always like this every morning, she would think that her mama was still there. But she wasn't.

" **I'm here, Frisk. I'm** _ **always**_ **here."** Chara greeted, her voice sounding like a melody this time. "Chara…? What happened? I… I left the ruins, and then… it got dark…" asked Frisk, looking around. **"You were super tired from your fight with mom. So tired that you were sleep walking a good distance before falling down."** Chara answered, her voice sounding quite ecstatic, but about what, Frisk didn't know.

Frisk got up, wiping off the dirt and snow bits on her pants and sweater. She looked at the ground, the path long—she shouldn't stray from it. She begun to walk, humming to herself the tune from her bedroom, her expression once more stuck to the default stoic.

Suddenly, she heard a branch break behind her. She turned, tilting her head, but noticing that there was nobody there, except for the broken branch. As she turned to continue walking, her eyes caught the sight of a shadow, moving within the trees so fast. What… was it?

Fear crept into her heart, continuing to walk slowly, the tall naked trees reminding her of how her old home looked after the accident, except these trees were alive and the ones surrounding her old home were burned, and the smell of smoke overpowered her nose with that awful scent…

…. "F-fire…" she whispered with a trembling lip, images of memories she wanted to forget burning into her mind all of a sudden **. "Are you okay, Frisk? Maybe you should walk slower."** Chara suggested, her voice attempting to mask her thirst for taking over once more. Chara couldn't control Frisk's memory, but when she saw an opening in her train of thought, she pounced on it and _boy_ was this one a good one. **"Hey, I got an idea. Let me take over, so you can fall asleep and rest easy with good dreams,"** Chara asked, seeing the tall wooden 'gate' ahead. She needed control now.

"…uncle… Juju…." Whispered Frisk, her knees wobbly, her eyes no longer seeing the snowy scenery, but instead seeing the ranch home where she used to live so comfortably. That day was the first day that things went down…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The ten acres of land her father owned were lush and surrounded by trees surrounding his property. The long private road that led to her two floor mansion where lived was lined with large willow trees whose long coats of green swayed in the breeze when the truck would roll by. Uncle Juju's low riding truck would jump every once in a while to amuse Frisk when she rode beside him. Today, June 20th, was just like all their trips back from the city where she would attend a private school and dancing classes—following in her mother's footsteps it seemed. "Tio (Uncle) Juju, you're… you're going to see me at my waltzing competition today, right? And my ballet recital tomorrow?" asked Flor in English, knowing that her father wanted her to get used to speaking English instead of Spanish nowadays in preparation of moving up north where it would snow, three years from now.

Uncle Juju, or Julian, was a tanned young man of 24 years and whose somewhat long hair was always slicked back with gel. He always seemed to wear shades that were 'chido' (cool) and he'd dressed semi-formal with his long button up dress shirts and slacks, and wearing crocodile skinned boots. He was always adorned with 'bling-bling' as he called it, gold watches, rings and esclavas (bracelets). His smile was always contagious, much like her mother, after all, they were siblings. "Eh, que tu hablas, chica?" (Eh? What you talkin' girl?) he asked in his usual slang, grinning as he drove with one hand. Flor pursed her lips tight and she crossed her arms, knowing that her Uncle fully understood her. "Ay, ay… esta bien (it's fine), I'll talk in ein-glish. Yes, I'ma go to your things, gurl. But I'm so hyped 'bout you's birthday bash Saturday, eh?" he replied, his thick accent making Flor giggle. "I'ma be six! I'm a big girl now!" beamed Frisk, throwing her hands in the air. "No, pues wow," ( Nah, well wow) he mused, moving his head to see her excitement. "Six already, I can't believe it, girlie. I was gonna give you this on your part-ey, but tomorrow is your birthday and I have a business deal. Tenga mi reina, 'mosha. Use it on your ballet recital." (Here you go my beautiful queen (slanged))

Flor watched as her uncle's arm moved to the glove compartment and opened it, revealing a birthday bag with beautiful purple tissue paper sticking out. "Oh… Uncle Juju…" began Flor, tearing up as she reached for the bag, but her tender smile was replaced with panic as a high pitched sound, followed by the sound of the back window being hit hard. Uncle Juju panicked for a second as was his usual reaction to these things was, but panic overwhelmed him when he realized he carried the family pride and joy. He quickly pulled up the windows to the sides, slamming on the gas pedal. "Ey, reina 'mosha, don't worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let the bad guys hurt you, o-kay? Just put your head down and take deep breaths."

As he drove, he looked back using his rear view mirror, but was unable to see anything through the glass that looked shattered, but held up. "It's a good thing I have bullet proof windows, no?" asked Uncle Juju, trying to laugh it off but he realized that his niece was crying with fear. Before he could say anything to her, his side view mirrors showed two cars following in pursuit, gunmen firing at them once more. "Ya valio madre, pinche suerte…" (Slang for shit just hit the fan, fuckin' luck) he cursed under his breath, catching himself too late. Florencia had forbid him from cursing in front of the kid. Suddenly, the right back tire popped, causing the truck to slide and drag at top speed. "Pinche mierda!" (Fuckin' shit!) he shouted out of shock, both of his hands attempting to steer the truck back on track before he pinned it to a tree or something. He could see the mansion just ahead… there, he was sure that the bodyguards would handle the situation, he was sure they heard the bullets.

Frisk cowered down, holding her present tightly as she prayed to herself much like her mother taught her to do when she was scared at night. Both back wheels were now popped, and uncle Juju gritted his teeth, continuing to slam his foot on the gas as he approached the mansion where he saw the small army of armed men waiting to shoot the enemies. "Fuck yeah!" he shouted, his adrenaline rush filling him with a shot of willpower to get his niece home safely. He slammed the brakes and drifted the truck unto the front of the mansion, going around the enormous fountain that adorned Mansion Gomez. He knew his breaks weren't going to be enough stop the car, which was why he pulled up the emergency brakes once the truck neared the center of mansion. He held out his arm, trying to shield his niece from the backlash of the speeding truck stopping immediately, unable to properly stop her from banging her head hard unto the glove compartment. He took a moment to breathe, looking at Flor as she cried, holding her bruise which had started bleeding with one hand while the other gripped the present. He looked outside his side window, watching the bodyguards shoot at the enemies while others entered the watch towers. From atop both watch towers, Gatling guns began to fire which suppressed the enemy fire. He sighed with relief but it was cut short when he noticed one of the gunman with a black looking ball thing in his hands. "Madre de dios, FLOR SALTE Y CORRE A LA CASE YA!" (mother of god, Get out and run to the house now)

Flor felt dizzy from the hit to the head, but she opened her door and did as she was told, moving erratically and unable to run properly due to the concussion. Uncle Juju flung his door open and ran towards Flor as fast as he could while ducking, picking her up and continuing to run up the stairs. A bullet shattered his ankle and he dropped her, falling down on top of her while a barrage of bullets came their way. Flor looked at her uncle with horror as his body moved to the flow of the bullets, blood splattering around them as he tried to shield her with his body, his arms wrapped around her tight. Before she could comprehend what was happening, a huge explosion, followed by two others pushed her uncle unto her hard.

"Asisten el jefe!"(Assist the boss) shouted a man in the distance, smoke filling the air and the scent of burning wood and flesh filling her nostrils. She opened her eyes, and saw her uncle staring at her with opened eyes and his mouth agape with blood dripping out, his black hair and ears caught on fire. Flor tried to scream, but no sound came out, her small arms trying to push him out of the way but he was too heavy. Finally a scream came out of her throat, and the sounds of men running up the stairs filled the background along with the sounds of open flames and screaming men in agony. She watched as the men who worked around her home put out the fire on his uncle, moving him aside and inspecting both of them. "Lo perdimos…" (We lost him) said one of the men, while another tried to stop the bleeding on her head. "La princessa esta herida—Doña Gomez!" (The princess is hurt—Mrs. Gomez!)

"Flor!" screamed out her mother who ran down the stairs and kneeled beside her, holding her tight as she cried, her head on her shoulder, looking over her dear brother's corpse. "Porque…" (why…) she cried, her grip on Flor tightening, looking at her brother who was engulfed in blood and charred flesh on his back. "Doña Gomez, su hermano salvó a su hija, es un héroe. El chaleco anti-balas protegió a Flor," (Mrs. Gomez, your brother saved your daughter, he's a hero. The anti-bullet vest protected her)

Florencia held her daughter even harder, grinding her teeth. "Yo no quiero un héroe, yo quiero a mi hermano! Ya no puedo mas! Estoy enamorada, pero ya no puedo mas… Tengo que dejar a Pablo, por mi hija," (I don't want a hero, I want my brother! I can't do this anymore! I'm in love, but I can't do it anymore… I have to leave Pablo, for my daughter.)

Flor felt her head throb, her ears still ringing from the explosion and her head feeling funny…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Her stomach turned into a knot, feeling uneasy and sick. She knew more things happened following that day, but for now, this was all she could remember. How could she have forgotten this? Her mama had told her Uncle Juju was on a business trip abroad and that his visa had expired and he couldn't fly anymore… She shielded her from the truth. Frisk felt like vomiting, unable to believe she would wait every day in her tutu hoping for the day he would fly in and watch her dance ballet in the diamond tiara and platinum locket he had gifted her that fateful day.

Chara's patience grew thin. **"Let me help you, little sis. Come, switch places! Dream about the good days you had with your Uncle Juju,"** she asked in a soothing voice, her vision realizing she was getting too close to the wooden gate. She needed to take over now or else that stupid skeleton…

Frisk felt herself weak, wishing this pain to just go away. "Chara…" began to say aloud, unable to agree with the feeling that told her to say no. Right before agreeing with Chara, the sounds of heavy footsteps on the snow caught her attention. Inside of Frisk, Chara was angry beyond all reason, unable to believe she was so close to taking over Frisk. That skeleton must have known what was going on, because his arrival was too soon—Frisk was but a few steps away from the gate, plenty of time to take control unlike prior encounters where he could appear once her feet touched the wooden bridge.

Sans's blue eye disappeared as he tried to stabilize his breathing, "H..u..m..a..n…" he breathed out, attempting to not sound as ominous this time. "D..o..n'..t.. y..o..u.. k..n..o..w.. h..o..w.. t..o.. g..r..e..e..t.. a.. n..e..w.. p..a..l..? T..u..r..n.. a..r..o..u..n..d.. a..n..d.. s..h..a..k..e.. m..y.. h..a..n..d.."

Frisk turned around slowly, the deep voice scaring her into submission immediately, although for some reason… it felt that like happened before, much like when Toriel called her during her first day to ask if she liked butterscotch in particular—Frisk didn't even know what butterscotch was but she knew she loved it. As she turned, a blue coat with white long fur came into view, followed by… a skeleton. She'd be ecstatic about meeting an actual talking skeleton if she wasn't so scared at the moment. The fright of this encounter put her lost memories at bay, her eyes staring at the skeleton who looked… familiar. Maybe it was because her mother loved face painting children with calavera (skull) designs on Dia de los Muertos. His arm moved up, his hand out and waiting for her to shake his hand. Frisk timidly raised her arm, looking at the skeleton as her hand softly grabbed his bony hand, to which he then firmly grasped it. She stared at the skeleton with wide brown eyes that replaced her stoic expression, the thin line underneath her nose breaking into a wide grin as the sound of flatulence echoed in the snowy forest. "April Fools!" She giggled, happy to know the tradition was still very much alive, her thoughts pertaining to her memories going further back into her mind.

Sans' empty chest throbbed with anxiety watching as she grinned and those wonderful brown eyes popped open, her giggle a much welcomed sound after such a long time of missing the real Frisk. Without a moment to lose, he deepened his grin, a light blue blush appearing on his cheeks as the playful music that accompanied Sans began to play. "heheh… the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's _always_ funny. anyways, you're a human, right? that's _hilarious_. i'm sans. sans the skeleton. i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now but… y'know… i really don't care about capturing anybody."

Frisk's grin began to turn into a warm smile, her hand still holding unto his hand, somehow feeling… safe. She felt safe again. She felt just as safe as when she would be with uncle Juju. So… uncle Juju had passed away too then, which meant… she actually had two guardian angels now. Her soft grip on the skeleton's hand tightened, silent tears falling down as she smiled, coming to terms with her forgotten memory.

Chara's transparent body appeared behind Frisk, biting her lip with anger. **"Damn you,** _ **Sans-sy**_ **. You win this round but… but I** _ **always**_ **win at the end."** she thought to herself, dissipating once more to regain her energy.

This was new… Frisk never cried on their encounter. He looked over her, hesitating before finally speaking. "…you uh… okay there kid? it'd be **tear** able if you weren't."

Frisk stared at him, chuckling and taking back her hand whilst wiping away her tears. This must be the friend her mom Toriel spoke about, the funny monster behind the door. She noticed a shade of blue appear on what were his cheek bones, and a bit of sweat appearing on the skull… wait, Calaveras (skulls) could sweat?

Sans could feel the tinge of embarrassment appear on him once more, his hands hiding inside the pockets of his jacket now. Did she remember him, perhaps? Maybe it didn't hurt to ask… "…hey kiddo… you don't uh… by chance have… haven't i seen ya before somewhere?"

Now it was Frisk's turn to blush a little, feeling like she should say yes, but had she? She had never met him before and yet…

and yet…

… _ketchup_.

"…um…" struggled Frisk, fiddling with her fingers as she looked down, her blush intensifying. For a moment, Sans could have sworn she was the splitting image of ol' Asriel except she was a human and an actual girl which made it cute and not weird. "…well, no, we haven't met… but um… do you like ketchup?" she asked, looking up with twinkling eyes.

Sans' heart dropped… well, he _felt like_ his heart dropped if he had one. "…yeah. speaking of it, **ketchup** to me and let's talk over here."

Frisk was startled by how fast the short skeleton's legs were, swooshing past her and walking through the wooden bridge with what seemed like… a gate? What a weird thing, anyone could pass by… woah, déjà vu again. Except it felt like Sans' was the one who said it.

Sans watched her catch up to him, her eyes staring at the wide gate and she looked… confused, thinking herself. Well, since she did somewhat remember him, then that meant it wouldn't be too weird if they acted more friendly, like before, would it? But before Sans could even begin to think about what to do next, the sounds of Papyrus' 'NYEH' could be heard coming up the small slope. "ah, pretty convenient. hey kid, hide behind the lamp, my brother Papyrus is a human hunting FANATIC… wait… you know what… come here instead and just stand right beside that sentry station."

Frisk turned her head, noticing a lamp that looked like it was her shape. If his brother was a human hunter, shouldn't she hide? She tilted her head, but Sans only grinned, giving her the thumbs up. "he's harmless, trust me" he assured her, walking to the sentry station and standing behind it, slumped down…

...if he closed his eyes…err, eye sockets, then…

Frisk looked at Sans whose grin seemed permeant, his skull turning towards her who now stood beside him in the sentry station.

"SANS! YOU LAZYBONES! YOU HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES!" Shouted a tall skeleton who wore a white two piece and a red flowing scarf. He too looked oddly familiar.

"sup paps. i'm teaching my assistant how to stand here." Sans casually responded, his hand waving him off and presenting Frisk casually, his eyes watching Papyrus intently.

Papyrus looked at the both of them, an orange fluster appearing on his cheek bones as his mouth was open in awe. "IS THAT… IS IT…"

Frisk stared at the tall skeleton as he ran to her, his long arms and hands inspecting her hair and her hands. "hey paps, don't scare my new assistant. she'll be a _human_ hunting extraordinaire." Sans chuckled, watching as Papyrus picked up Frisk and began to dance around with her. "OH DEAR BROTHER, YOU'VE DONE IT! NOW I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD, AND EARN THE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION I DESERVE! I'LL BE SO POPULAR, I'LL HAVE TONS OF FRIENDS!" Papyrus exclaimed, embracing the human as he continued to dance around. Her giggles felt so familiar, however, it was perplexing.

Sans smirked. "a skele **ton** of friends I'm sure," he snickered, watching as Papyrus set Frisk down and groaned. "SANS, DON'T RUIN THIS BEAUTIFUL MOMENT! I HAVE TO CAPTURE HER—UH, SANS WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THE HUMAN ON MY SHOULDERS?" asked Papyrus who was about to fight with Frisk, watching as San's blue magic picked up the human and set her sitting down on his shoulders.

Frisk laughed, throwing her hands in the air. "Let's make spaghetti!" she shouted unconsciously, opening her eyes and noticing the wide grin on Sans. "S-SPAGHETTI? YOU LOVE SPAGHETTI TOO? N-NO, I HAVE TO GET YOU TO UNDYNE." Papyrus told himself, shaking his head. Frisk's nose scrounged up, beginning to go on a sneezing frenzy, probably due to the semi-wet sweater and jeans. And the cold.

Sans began to walk down towards the slope. "…you know paps, humans are delicate things. she'll die if she gets too sick."

Frisk wiped her nose, her free hand holding unto Papyrus' skull as he caught up to Sans. "REALLY? WE CAN'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN, SANS. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS HUMAN UNTIL SHE'S BETTER. THEN I'LL TAKE HER TO UNDYNE."

Frisk sneezed once more, her nose feeling funny ever since her sneezing fit. Was she really getting sick? Who was going to cook her fideos y caldos? (noodles and soups)

As the two skeletons walked downslope, Frisk took out her cell phone and dialed Toriel, hoping she could pick up, but alas, she did not. She really was upset, huh?

Frisk could not get sick, not here of all places! Toriel was behind the door and she wasn't going to tell her soup recipes so she needed to stay healthy so that she could continue her journey… but before making long journeys, perhaps she should have gone to the restroom. Frisk bit her lip, looking around and noting the well bushed trees, and not a single house or building in sight. She didn't want to do this… but if her uncle Juju could do it, she could too. "S-Sans… I have to potty…" Frisk managed to whimper, noting the two skeletons beginning to panic. "uh… paps, she's your human, go walk her." Sans spurted, noting how Papyrus' eye sockets widened more than the usual. "IF MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT, YOU FOUND HER FIRST. MAYBE I SHOULD TAKE HER TO UNDYNE, SHE'S A GIRL…"

Sans sighed, shaking his head. "if you take a sick human, undyne won't be impressed. i'll walk the human."

Frisk could feel the urge to relieve herself getting stronger, filling her with determination to do so. Without a moment to lose, as soon as her feet touched the snowy ground, she ran off into the shadows of the trees, hoping Sans wouldn't follow her—was he a guy or a girl? He sounded like guy.

Sans followed loosely behind, noting a bright blinking star further down the road—huh, was that always there? Making sure he could somewhat know her location, Sans followed behind, his hands behind his skull thinking about what just happened. Usually, he would toy around with Frisk, but now he had changed his actions in totality and in the process, as it turns out, Frisk was getting a cold from knocking herself down a while back. Maybe he should share his coat…

And ruin the fur? _Heavens no_.

His eye sockets were closed and he could hear Frisk in the distance humming to herself, skipping back with a grin plastered on her face. "Much better, hehe~" she giggled, her face flustered from the cold and her nose beginning to run. Her eyes diverted to small creature scurrying about. "kay, well… here. don't want you getting chin **chill** ed," he mumbled, taking off his jacket almost reluctantly, noting that she seemed a bit confused. His pun wasn't a good one, he was sharing his jacket and she didn't even know what a chinchilla was—what a _great_ way to start this new timeline.

Frisk accepted the enormous jacket nonetheless, putting it on and zipping it up, its fur hoodie covering her brown mass of hair and most of her face, minus the chin. While it was rather comfy, it was… huge, her arms were barely halfway through the sleeves. Suddenly, she felt herself rising from the ground again, and she picked up the hoodie, watching as they made their way back to Papyrus who looked almost in shock.

"SANS, SINCE WHEN DO YOU SHARE YOUR JACKET?" Asked Papyrus, relaxing his shoulders as the human was once again put on his shoulders. "…since i noticed she's getting sicker, come on paps, let's take—" began Sans when Frisk pointed at a treasure chest over yonder. "What's that?" she asked innocently, coughing slightly.

Papyrus smiled, clearing his throat. "THAT HUMAN, IS A MAGICAL BOX. WE USE IT TO STORE STUFF WE MIGHT NEED LATER… I THINK I SAW SOMETHING THAT MIGHT FIT YOU."

Sans followed behind with one eye socket open, watching as Frisk tried on the tough looking gloves—well at least her hand hands were somewhat warm. Before he could attempt to ask them to take a shortcut back to Snowdin, Papyrus walked off with Frisk leading him with her finger, encountering Snowdrake and carrying on with giggles and groans.

" _i suppose it couldn't hurt to let her get closer to paps out here with my jacket on…"_ Sans thought, his hands in the pocket of his shorts although it wasn't the same. That jacket always made the difference.

"HUMAN!" exclaimed Papyrus, bring Sans out of his thoughts. "DON'T MOVE!" he continued, searching for his arm, Sans was sure. Ah. Doggo. Sans kept close, watching Frisk while also picking up what seemed to be Papyrus' right arm covered in dog saliva… that was how he managed to separate the two, Frisk must've fallen off while Papyrus panicked.

"SANS THANK GOODNESS YOU FOUND IT! AND LOOK, THE HUMAN HAS SCARED DOGGO! SHE SURE IS GOOD AT DOING NOTHING LIKE YOU, NYEH-HEH-HEH!"

Frisk grinned, tilting her head as she sneezed. Oh… that poor jacket…

Papyrus took off his red scarf, wrapping it around Frisk as he picked her up. "LEAD THE WAY HUMAN!"

"uh paps, shouldn't we lead?" asked Sans, but once more, the two had scurried off. Ah, the Paps-Frisk duo—good times. Following behind, he overlooked Frisk and Papyrus, interacting with the Snowman and receiving what looked like ice—wouldn't that melt? Sans didn't ask, he just watching Frisk put it away inside her satchel and point away.

"OH, THE SIGN SAYS ICE. ICE. ICE. ICE. WE SHOULD GO THIS WAY, HUMAN."

Sans could feel himself get sleepy, walking slowly behind them with his eye sockets closed… so easy to just… doze… off…

Papyrus and Frisk didn't notice that Sans had stopped a while back, the two walking uphill and stopping when Papyrus noticed the floor. "OH. WELL, YOU ARE A HUMAN AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO CAPTURE YOU… SO… HERE, TAKE THIS. I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIGURE OUT THIS SHOCKING PUZZLE! IT IS THE INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE! WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THE MAZE THAT ORB WILL GIVE YOU A HEARTY ZAP! OKAY! GO AHEAD… RIGHT… ABOUT… NOW!"

Frisk held unto the orb, watching and hearing as Papyrus walked around the maze unharmed noticing that his footprints left a trail of footsteps that didn't look like it was casual walking… And thus, she followed his footsteps, noticing the way his skull seemed anxious when she didn't walk exactly over his footstep, almost like he wanted her to step on his footsteps.

Frisk came to a stop in front of Papyrus, noticing the relief in his expression as he exclaimed, "INCREDIBLE! YOU SLIPPERLY SNAIL, YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY!"

Frisk couldn't help but to laugh, coughing at the end and feeling her cheeks get hotter… was it because she was getting hot? Should she take off the jacket and scarf? Mama would bundle her up when she was sick… so better not.

Papyrus picked her up once more, walking as he overlooked the delicate human. Holding her like this felt so familiar, but that was impossible! The Great Papyrus would never forget! As the two continued walking, he spotted the Nice Ice Cream guy standing in the corner, sulking. "HUMAN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO EAT?" asked Papyrus, noting the way she slouched over his skull. "…um… yeah…" she whispered, watching as they walked to the stand. "Oh, a customer!" exclaimed the attendant, grinning.

"… only 15 gold!" he claimed with enthusiasm to sell. Now Frisk really couldn't say no… and that ice cream looked delicious…

"I FORGOT MY WALLET." Papyrus sighed, giving up on finding it on his battle suit. Instead, however, Frisk opened her satchel and began to count gold pieces, counting thirty and holding out her hand. "Two please." She smiled as best she could, grabbing the both of them when the Nice Ice Cream man handed it her and handing one to Papyrus. "This one is for you," She smiled sweetly, watching as an orange blush crossed the cheeks of the skeleton and he took the ice cream trying to hide his face. "THANK YOU HUMAN, I, UHH, COULD HAVE FOUND MY WALLET BUT NOW I OWE YOU SPAGHETTI."

Frisk giggled, noticing the sweat appear on the skull and she wiped it away, licking her ice cream and feeling the cool touch of it on her hot breath—her throat began to hurt, but she was going to finish it!

In the far away distance, Sans opened his eyes and panicked. Oh. god. Did he snooze on the job? As quickly as he could, he used his short cuts and found them walking and eating—ice cream? Really? If the human was sick now, she'd be terribly ill tomorrow. Well, it looked like they were nearly done with their ice creams, so the damage was done, no need to lecture them now. Instead, he coolly stood in the way of the path led them away from Snowdin.

Papyrus ran to Sans, stopping in front of him. "BROTHER! I OWE THE HUMAN SPAGHETTI, SHE GOT ME ICE CREAM. YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN WITH US," Papyrus told him, excitement in his voice.

"really? ya know, i've been thinking about selling treats too. want some fried snow? only 5 gold." Sans replied, noticing the way Frisk laughed while Papyrus groaned. "HUMAN DON'T FALL FOR IT."

Frisk stopped laughing, clearing her throat. "One please!"

Sans grinned. "Did I say 5 gold? I meant 50 gold." Frisk once more ordered one.

"Really? How about 5,000 gold?" asked Sans, attempting to hold in his laughter as Papyrus huffed and puffed, mumbling to himself.

"Alright kid, 50,000, and that's my final offer."

Frisk shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't have the money." Sans smiled, beginning to walk downward, and trying to lead them in the right direction. "That's okay, I don't have any snow."

Walking, he noticed the floor was empty. Oh… shoot.

"…BEAT HIS PUZZLE!" Exclaimed Papyrus, making a big deal of his puzzle, Sans was sure except… well…

"SANS, WHERE IS YOUR PUZZLE?" Asked Papyrus, putting Frisk down. "…it's in the inside pocket on the jacket…"

Papyrus looked at Frisk, noting she took out a piece of paper and stared at it, sticking out her tongue and biting it as she began to make lines using her fingers quickly but came to a stop, staring at the paper with confused eyes. Minutes passed and the two skeleton brothers looked at each other, wondering if they should say something. She took out a crayon and began to scribble on the paper, knocking down all the words except for Mermaids, Skeletons and Summer.

Papyrus stared for as long as he could, realizing he himself had begun to doze off when he noticed she had scratched out Mermaids and Skeletons. Oh boy. One more.

Time seemed to drag on _forever_.

Sans had long ago dozed off, but Papyrus had begun to worry about the human, she seemed to be coughing and sneezing more often, and her nose was _really_ running.

"UM, HUMAN," Began Papyrus. "IT'S OKAY IF YOU CANNOT BEAT THE PUZZLE, I'M SURE—WAIT ARE YOU CRYING? DON'T CRY."

Sans woke up, finding Papyrus hugging Frisk as she cried in frustration. "I can't find summer!" she sobbed, staring at the puzzle as Papyrus picked her up. "SANS, YOU'VE MADE THE PUZZLE TOO HARD!"

Sans could feel the sweat on his skull, wondering what he should say, or do—was she really trying to solve it? Wow.

"W-wait, I found it! I found it!" she exclaimed, finding summer when she turned the paper upside down. "I did it!"

"WELL. SHE FINISHED THE PUZZLE, SANS, YOU SHOULD HAVE PUT JUNIOR JUMBLE! THAT IS WAY HARDER!"

"what? really dude? that easy-peasy word scramble? that's for baby bones" Sans replied, shaking his head.

Papyrus was taken a back. "UN-UNBELIEVEABLE! HUMAN! SOLVE THIS DISPUTE! IS CROSSWORD PUZZLES OR JUNIOR JUMBLE HARDER TO SOLVE?"

Frisk sneezed, her aching head throbbing as she did. Papyrus seemed really upset. "Um… Junior Jumble of course…"

Papyrus cackled a laugh, pointing at sans as he put her back unto his shoulders this time. "HUMANS MUST BE VERY INTELLIGENT! LET'S GET GOING!"

Ever vigilant, Sans followed behind, his opened eye socket watching Frisk's behavior. She was getting sicker by the minute, but he could see those warm eyes light up every time something happened, 'specially the puzzle. Maybe she likes doing these puzzles… huh.

"OH NO. MY SPAGHETTI! HUMAN, I KNOW ITS TEMPTING, BUT WE SHOULD KEEP GOING. YOU LOOK SICK."

Sans noticed the way Frisk laughed and coughed at the same time—her nose would wrinkle up. "I'm not very hungry… you can have the spaghetti. I see the little mouse… I know he's going to eat soon!" she whispered with enthusiasm, her breathing becoming labored. Huh… another save point. How come Sans never paid attention to them, they were always in plain view.

Papyrus beamed with happiness, walking on with the human on his shoulders. She had been so considerate in leaving him the spaghetti—it must have been hard for her. As they continued on, they realized it was another one of their puzzles…

"hey paps… maybe we should uh… help the human."

Papyrus nodded in agreement, however, Frisk adamantly refused. "No! I wanna solve it…" she sniffled, sounding drowsy.

"OKAY HUMAN, IF YOU INSIST"

Sans sighed. Frisk had never gotten sick, but now… this timeline was changing too much.

Up ahead, Frisk and Papyrus continued on while he pondered back, looking up at the falling snow when that venomous voice whispered in his ear….er, ear hole.

"Serves you right for meddling, _San-sy_ ,"

Sans turned around, finding a black mist floating ever so easy, circling him as he began to get angry. "chara… what did you do?" asked Sans, trying to keep his calm.

The mist came to a stop. "What, me? I did nothing, she caught it herself. Maybe I helped with the fall, but it doesn't matter. I want to play a game, San-sy. The winner gets to keep Frisk… what do you say?" she asked, her voice sounding sultry, but Sans was having none of it. "no. how about you get lost and leave frisk alone before i show you a bad time,"

"Ooo," Chara's voice cooed, circling him once more. "With you, it's _never_ a bad time. Until we meet again _, San-sy…"_

Sans felt a terrible pain at the pit of his… well, what would be his stomach? "wait chara… i'll bite. what's the game?" he asked calmly, his black eye sockets staring at the black mist in an attempt to figuring her out.

The black mist bounced up and down, as though emulating Chara's excitement. "Oh _San-sy_ , I knew you'd play with me. The terms are fairly simple. I will not try to charm Frisk into submission, nor will I force myself into her, unless her bad memories trigger her into a weak state. I can't pass up a weak opponent, it makes it much easier to control her. You, San-sy, can do whatever you like, except tell her who I am, what my purpose is, and our history together and what's happened in the other timelines… ah, that's right, one more detail… you can't tell her, or call her by her real name. I'll even throw in a bonus: I won't be around for a while. Watching her through her eyes is boring, it's always Spare this, or Spare that. One last thing… If you by some chance meet a mystical 'saint' or 'angel', I want you to interrogate her and learn who she really is, and why Frisk's past life makes it so easy for me to come back. It's _absolutely_ shocking. Maybe then you'll understand why it's better to let me win, so we can play _forever_ ,"

Sans could feel a sense of panic within him, his back arching up as though an icy cold breeze had blown, the black mist coming closer to his skull. Sweat began to build up, his fingers twitching and ready to summon his Gaster Blaster if she had tried anything. Instead, that black mist shadowed the side of his skull, the mist brushing against his cheekbone before disappearing in thin air.

Wait…

his…

cheekbone…

San's could feel his cheeks light up with blue, not out of glee or nervousness, but out of anger. Even after all these years… she still had to make her annoying personality peeve him. After all these years, she still picked a fight with him, and challenged him. It. was. _annoying_. But, Sans figured, it was a good thing in the end. In the end, she was treating this as a game—a terrible way to put things, but if memory served him right, Chara always kept her word, though anything that was up for debate or speculation was fair game. He wondered just what form of cheating… thinking outside the box she was going to use this time…

As Sans caught up to Papyrus, he noticed that once more he was attaching his limbs that were covered in dog saliva. Sans looked onward, finding frisk shivering in the cold without his sweater or Papyrus' scarf. Instead, she was covered in snow and dirt, petting Dogamy while Dogaressa continued to swoon. Their battle arena walls were up, so… they smelt Frisk. Sans hurried on over, noticing that the music in the environment had changed back to normal and that the Dogamy and Dogaressa were content. Ah, peaceful Frisk strikes again. Sans smiled, but he immediately picked up his jacket and Papyrus' scarf, running to Frisk and putting it on her without even asking beforehand. "don't take them off… we need to get you to snowdin fast. paps! get over here quick, she's burning up." Frisk looked back at him with those drowsy eyes of hers, her cheeks a bright red and her hands touching his forehead—hot to the touch. "I'm okay," she breathed out, her breath like hot steam.

Papyrus caught up, noticing Sans' concern and indifference about his jacket getting dirty. Wowie, that must mean that the human means a lot to Sans. "IS THAT A BAD THING?" Asked Papyrus, unfamiliar with the human anatomy. "we need to cool her down, come on," Sans hurried him, his blue magic putting the human girl on Papyrus' shoulders before walking away and disappearing behind some nearby trees. Papyrus stood baffled, unable to believe that Sans blew off the opportunity to make a pun for the humans' sake. Wowie, the last time he blew off a pun was when…

Oh. So the human was dangerously ill?

Sans looked back, realizing his mistake. He was back in Snowdin, without neither Papyrus nor Frisk. He sighed, his bony fingers massaging the temples of his skull. "i forgot to grab pap's hand…" he told himself, smashing his forehead unto the palm of his hand and ready to go back but he realized: even if he returned, they had no medicine. Would monster medicine even work? Sans doubted he had any information on the matter, and but he knew someone that might.

Considering she has cameras set up around the underground, he wondered just how much she knew and if she had told anyone. Oh no. Undyne. Sans' grim expression darkened, his blue eye flickering as he walked forward into a tree that soon disappeared and warped into Alphys' front door.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Papyrus walked unto the switched, beaming as he heard a click. "WOWIE HUMAN, YOU SOLVED IT! …ARE…. ARE YOU OKAY?" He asked, looking over his shoulder and noticing she had turned paler and had begun to sweat. She seemed thirsty—she was licking her lips an awful lot. "A-okay!" she whispered, giving him a thumbs up as she pointed forward. Without any further interaction, Papyrus walked and walked, but stopped when he realized what the next puzzle was. He gulped, and stared at the floor, waiting for neon colors to flash, but after a while of waiting he realized: it wasn't on. How silly of him to forget, but such a good thing too! He forgot the instructions to the puzzle anyways.

Frisk smiled, her eyes twinkling when she saw the dog stare at the snow with his tongue out and a fierce determination in his eyes. She had to get better! Her heart began to beat faster, filling her with determination! The dog looked so cute—she always wanted a dog but… but… but someone opposed it.

Someone…

Before Frisk could pinpoint the sudden feeling of dread, Papyrus exclaimed "OH NO!", and down they went. Frisk held on to Papyrus as hard as she could, falling into the snow when they reached the bottom. It was so cold… thankfully, Sans' jacket was really warm. She looked around and noticed a statue with the word 'Papyrus' and a… thing with 'Sans'. Wait…

"Pa… pie… ruus." Frisk pronounced, her hand grabbing Papyrus' as he picked her up and put her on his shoulders once more. "YES HUMAN, THAT'S MY NAME. ARE YOU LEARNING TO READ?" He asked, noticing how she squinted and pronounced each syllable.

"Yes… my mom was teaching me. At school, I was going to take my English classes next year," Frisk replied, watching as they went up a steep hill.

"ENGLISH? WHAT IS THAT?" asked Papyrus, watching as Frisk stared at the icy puzzle.

"Its… what we're speaking. What do you call it?" asked Frisk, staring at the X's in on the stable ground, surrounded by ice.

"SPEAKING AND WORDS," Papyrus replied, unable to figure out what way they should go.

Frisk laughed softly, point in a direction. "Silly Papyrus… No… hablan espanol?" she asked, noticing the way the skeleton fumbled with his feet before reaching the solid ground. "NO… WHAT?" he asked, once more following Frisk's pointed direction.

Frisk sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Oh nothing… This one is the last one."

Papyrus nodded, letting his feet do the rest. They slid through a cave, snow falling upon them. Frisk could feel the cold snowflakes flying their way, which was why she put the hoodie on. Thanks to her quick thinking, she was able to escape most of the snow to the head. What snow did fall on her, she tried to shake off and shuddered as it slithered down her hot back.

Frisk pointed south, but Papyrus knew it wasn't the right way. "UM, LETS GO THIS WAY HUMAN. WE CAN COME BACK LATER." Papyrus persuaded, catching himself too late. Come back later? No, no, no! He was going to take care of the human then capture her and take her to Undyne! And then… well, he didn't know what would happen to the human, but the barrier would be broken! Then they could all be friends aboveground! Yes!

Frisk felt herself too weak to protest, nodding as she watched all the snow poofs roll on by. She wanted to poke them, but… Papyrus seemed be hurrying for her sake. Suddenly, a snow poof stood in their way but a tail appeared behind it, and soon… a… dog!

Papyrus took a step back, his arms already flung up to his torso in shock and fright, an orange fluster on his cheekbones as he continued to take steps back. This was no normal dog. He had managed to outrun most of the dogs nearby, but this one looked… like…

Frisk gasped in awe, watching as that squeaking dog got taller and wore armor. "NOT THE GREATER DOG!" Papyrus exclaimed, tired of having his bones pop out every time they attacked him because of the human on his shoulders. They'd normal behave with him and Sans but this human made them go into a frenzy—was she bad luck?

Frisk could see her heart or SOUL, whatever it was, pop out once more, and she clapped to the music change, her spirits lifting. There was a white clear colored wall around them this time, Papyrus stuck in the fight as well this time. She called the dog to her, and she could heard Papyrus' 'No, no, no, no, no!' in the background as the dog bounced towards them, its saliva pouring down on poor Papyrus and some landing on Frisk, its tongue licking Papyrus' face. "OH GOD, WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS," She could hear Papyrus, trying to get most of the slobber off of him.

Papyrus looked up just in time to see the Greater Dog's attack, running to the left when he saw the white spear, but stopping when it turned blue. Frisk could be heard giggling in the background—that human sure did cause a lot of trouble, then again, all the monsters knew we just needed one more human. As he began to think to himself, he noticed the Greater Dog get closer…and closer. From atop, Frisk pet the dog, holding unto Papyrus as he fell back. Papyrus groaned, the tall dog curling into his lap while the human continued to pet him. "GET OFF!" Shouted Papyrus, watching as the dog got off and ran back a bit. "HUMAN, GET ON," he commanded, but instead the girl got a ball of ice and looked like she was going to throw it, but her hands were trembling and it fell off her hands. She seemed to be trembling inside the jacket, her lips quivering and her eyes looking like they could close at any moment. Papyrus picked her up and put her on his shoulders, looking back at the dog who was hitting the ground with his paw. Hm. Well, he could do what the human was going to do… And without giving it much thought, he made a snowball and threw, watching the dog trying to pick up what was left of it.

"GREATER DOG, WE DON'T WANT TO—OI! DON'T LEAVE YOUR SNOW ON MY BOOTS!" began Papyrus, but he began to get annoyed when the snow that the dog brought back fell unto his boots—it was a lot of snow, and now the dog's head was on the snow. "P-pet…" Frisk breathed out, her breathing getting heavier. "O-OKAY HUMAN," Papyrus said with a nod, petting the dog. The dog seemed happy, but it seemed it wasn't enough. Papyrus could feel the weight of the snow on the inside of his boots, and with an incoming attack, he felt he was slow—but he must not be struck, not with the human! He did his best to move until the spear turned blue, watching the dog get closer once the attack failed. "…pet…" Frisk once more breathed out with a cough. Papyrus could feel his torso throb with worry for the human, petting the dog and restarting the cycle. Pet, then an attack. Pet, then an attack. When would this end? The human felt so hot on his shoulders, this did not feel normal indeed.

Finally, the dog fell to his back, barking with content and the battle barriers falling down. It was over. Papyrus sighed with relief, but his relief was cut short when the dog got up and walked to them, the cute dog jumping out of its armor and towards Frisk. Papyrus held out his arms which the dog used as support as he licked the human before jumping back into his armor face first and walking away with his tail wagging where the head should have been.

The human's giggles were labored, her hands holding tight to Papyrus' skull. "I'm… really… tired…" she whispered, her body leaning to the right and falling down. Papyrus was shocked at first before managing to pull himself out of the state and carrying the human in his arms instead. "DON'T WORRY HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE SURE YOU REACH SNOWDIN AND GET BETTER SOON!"

He walked forward with the human in his arms, her eyes watching as they reached a bridge. "OH NO, MY OWN TRAP IS WORKING AGAINST ME!" He exclaimed, his eye sockets filled with worry as he stared at the absurd death-filled trap. The switch to turn it off was on the other side too… why did he turn it on before checking up on Sans? Oh, just in case a human came by… but…

Frisk looked up with a frightened expression, but she was taken aback when she noticed an orange looking eye appear on his right eye, full of determination. She gasped, her tiny hands grabbing on as hard as she could when the skeleton began to run and jump, dodging the swings of an axe and the thrown spikes, moving his body side to side when the mace swung and jumping with his legs wide open when the cannon fired—that one was close! Fire breathed out, but he was too quick and finally, a cute dog swung at then held by a rope, squeaking and attempting to take a bite out of Papyrus' bones, but once more, the great Papyrus dodged.

When they reached the other side, Frisk noticed that he blinked, and the orange eye disappeared, as though it had never been there, and that serious look of his also disappeared. "EASY PEASY, LEMON SQUEEZY," he whispered under his breath with that usual excitement in his voice, his eye sockets looking as though he was reminiscing about something, or someone. "AH HUMAN! I'M SORRY BUT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE NOT TELL SANS YOU SAW ANY OF THAT, ESPECIALLY THE EYE." Papyrus requested, snuggling with the human with relief to know that Snowdin was close. Frisk nodded, holding out her pinkie. "I… pinky promise… Juju…" she whispered, closing her eyes and opening them one more, shaking her head. "Sorry… I mean… Papyrus…" she corrected herself, watching as the skeleton seemed confused but held out his pinky as well. "PINKY PROMISE? THIS IS NEW, BUT OKAY! IT'S A PROMISE!"

Once their moment was over, Papyrus began to run with the human in his arms, passing the Snowdin sign and running to his house. Wait. Where would the human sleep? Sans' room was a no-go! That messy skeleton could never be a good host, oh he hoped the human would not be flabbergasted by the unsightly mess in the house. The couch was where he watched Mettaton so… his room!

He ran as fast as he could with the bundle in his arms bouncing, his hands trembling as he fumbled with the door. Once inside, he walked as fast as he could so that she could not see the mess—that rock always left a mess! and that sock! He had so much cleaning to do, he hoped the human did not see how dusty the television looked.

Frisk could feel the skeleton taking off her sweater and scarf, her body drenched in sweat. Before she knew what was going on, she was put into a racecar—wait a bed, and she knocked out with a mountain of blankets to keep her warm along with her smelly sweater and jeans.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"S-sans! I d-d-didn't expect you here," stuttered the scientist. "yeah, me neither. so, can I come in?" he asked, walking forward and watching as the scientist moved to make way although she looked like she wasn't trying to let him in. "Did you need something?" she asked nervously, watching as the skeleton walked to the big screen. "yeah. i need medicine for a human, and before you make a big deal out it, let me just say, that i'm not really in the mood for fighting you for it but i will."

Dr. Alphys gulped, her fingers which looked like claws poking each other with anxiety. "S-Sans, we need the human—W-wait, I have something! Don't hit me," she began to say, but quickly changed her mind when she noticed the Gaster Blaster appear.

Sans watched as she began to walk towards a door, looking over shoulder to see if he was following her. "F-follow me. I'm sure you won't be surprised by a lab considering what Gaster used to do…" she stated, her heart entering what felt like a panic attack. How could she ever surpass the formal royal scientist? She had only heard rumors of him from certain monsters, but not many monsters knew of him. Sans, however, seemed to have been close to him, or was family related? King Asgore had on many occasions tried to convince Sans to work with Alphys, but Sans had always refused—King Asgore had said something about Sans knowing much about science and being really smart. He certainly didn't _look_ that smart...

"don't think too hard, alphys. gaster isn't someone that _anyone_ could just remember." Sans replied, putting away his Gaster Blaster as he followed the scientist through an elevator door. "Why are you making friends with the human? You know we need her to break the barrier, even Gaster couldn't figure out a way around it. Asgore said you and I could have finished what he was doing and figured a way out," Alphys asked with a snort, waiting for the short skeleton to follow her. "he was close, i'll tell you that, but it wasn't worth what he did, no amount of praise could justify what happened."

Alphys looked over the serious skeleton, wondering what his words meant. Oddly enough, his words sounded like something she would say—did he also regret something scientific? What happened?

The elevator came to a stop on the second floor, the fluorescent lights blinding Alphys momentarily before walking out of the elevator. She passed by a few doors, each labeled accordingly until she came to the end of the hallway that split into a T. "This is it. The archives,"

Sans looked at the door labeled archives, swinging his head to see the rest of the hallway which went on, and on, and on. "okay, well, hurry up, the human's not getting any better."

Alphys breathed in, opening the door and turning on the lights to find an enormous room full of dusty beakers, science equipment, and papers. Stacks, and stacks of papers. File cabinets littered the room, and Sans felt as though his heart sank. Oh _god_.

"I haven't had time to sort it all out…" Alphys explained, trying to seem serious although inside she knew, Kissy Kissy Mew Mew was worth it.

"busy, huh? well gaster and everyone sure did like taking notes. but uh… you haven't even tried to sort it out. it looks like the same amount I left unsorted," Sans stated with annoyance in his voice, walking around the room while Alphys followed behind. "W-what? N-no… it's been so long, you must've thought wrong," Alphys replied chuckling awkwardly afterwards.

Sans looked around, stopping when he saw a dusty restraining chair. Alphys bumped into him, and she noticed the way he seemed to get nervous with sweat all around his skull and his usual grin suddenly flat. "S-sans?" she asked, bringing him back from whatever that was. "sorry. that chair… you should burn it, throw it in the magma," Sans muttered, continuing to walk while focusing on the prize. Something, anything that could heal Frisk. Alphys was taken aback for a moment before she caught up, following closely behind. Man, there were mountains of papers—why hadn't they computerized things? Well, someone files were, but it seemed like they were in the process of doing it. "S-Sans… weren't there more monsters who worked in the core?" she asked, stopping when Sans stopped what seemed to be a medicine cabinet and stacks of paperwork related to it.

Sans looked down at papers, skimming through the words before opening the medicine cabinet. "damn… i wonder if it's still good…" Sans asked himself, looking at the medicine bottles, each with labels of names and their contents, levels of concentration and side effects.

Alphys frowned, not knowing if Sans didn't hear her or if he chose to ignore her question. "We can recreate them if you want…" Alphys suggested, noticing that Sans had taken an interest in a certain stack.

"…huh. monsters can drink human medicine and feel better, but humans have negative side effects when given monster medicine… well… i don't trust old medicine, so i'll take you up on that offer, alphys. let's go."

Alphys watched the fast skeleton backtrack with the medium sized cabinet in his arms, seemingly in a hurry. She didn't understand… if the human was sick, she could die and then they wouldn't need to kill her and they'd open the barrier. Why was he so invested in the human? Alphys nonetheless began walking back towards the elevator, feeling extremely nervous and intimidated by his grin and empty eye sockets. Didn't he had white eyes inside those eye sockets?

Alphys pressed FL4, looking to her side. "Why do you-" she began to ask, but was silenced by Sans who gave her a response. "you'll understand when you meet her. if i explained, you wouldn't believe me. i have another favor to ask, well, more of a request. **don't tell undyne.** "

Alphys gasped, her claws covering her mouth. "Don't tell Undyne?! Sans, I understand if you or your brother can't let the human go, but Undyne will take care of her and it'll be easier on you! Do you really want to be stuck in underground, waiting another few hundred years before a human decides to fall down?" she asked. Sans shrugged. "i'd rather be stuck down here than to lose that kid. you'll miss her too if she leaves," Sans replied, walking forward when the elevator door opened. Alphys tilted her head in confusion, following the skeleton.

"Sans, don't be selfish! All the monsters want to leave! I want to leave!" she shouted in frustration, noticing the skeleton had stopped walking in the middle of the chemical laboratory. "…selfish? have you asked the kid if she wants to be slain for our 'greater good'? have you even considered that maybe she's not the fighting type?" Sans riposted, putting down the cabinet and turning back with his hollow eye sockets, that grin once more flat. Wow. Had he really said that? Before Frisk, or any of this… he would have gladly ripped the soul out of a human, well, before that lady behind the door made him promise not to. But even then, he wouldn't be against another monster taking that soul so that they'd be closer to freedom.

Alphys was once more taken a back, shaking her head. "She? It's a she? Look Sans," she began, but stopped when his eye flickered a blue and a Gaster Blaster appeared once more. "promise me you won't tell undyne. i have to keep that human safe for as long as i can." Sans asked calmly, looking as though he was filled with grief and regret.

Alphys was beyond confused, frozen into place by the threatening Gaster Blaster. "…Why…?" Alphys asked, wondering why Sans seemed so adamant. As soon as her word rolled off her tongue, Sans seemed surprised with himself, the Gaster Blaster looking over him with a sad look himself. "i…" Sans began, wondering why he was in this state.

Oh.

That's right.

"…i killed her so many times… i…" he whispered under his breath, feeling his bones rattling with anxiety. He did all that. The last timeline, he… she tried to spare him and he mercilessly killed her. It wasn't her fault. It was Chara. Now that he knew, the guilt was overwhelming her at the moment, almost like it was eating away at him.

"Sans…?" Alphys asked with fright, not knowing what the skeleton seemed to be doing except standing there with his Gaster Blaster still out. Sans looked at Alphys, regaining his composure and staring at her. "promise me alphys, and keep your word or my gaster blaster won't be the last of your worries _, i_ will." Sans threatened, watching the dinosaur nod. "Yes, fine, I promise! I won't tell Undyne!" Alphys exclaimed, her arms in the air, waiting for that Gaster Blaster to disappear until she could ease herself. For a comedian, Sans sure was a scary monster when he wanted to be.

Sans pet the Gaster Blaster before it disappeared, his blue eye leaving as well as he rolled his shoulders. Man, if he kept it up, he'd be just like Gaster. A shudder rattled the skeleton just as the thought, watching Alphys walk over to her all her machines. "A-a-a-alright, l-l-let's b-b-begin," stuttered Alphys, beckoning Sans to walk over to her with the medicine cabinet.

As the hours passed, the tension between the two eased with Alphys becoming a bit more comfortable with the knowledgeable skeleton. King Asgore wasn't kidding around. Whenever she would make a mistake (and there were _many_ several), he would correct her and speak so… medically and scientifically… it astounded her. Throughout the processes, Sans seemed to ease up as well, his usual grin appearing and making a few jokes and puns here and there. He seemed so easy going when he wasn't trying to threaten you. That human must really mean a lot. Alphys had thought about sending Mettaton instead, keeping her promise but going around but, but now… she felt compelled to keep true to her word and see just what it was that Sans saw in the human. It was a bit of curiosity, to know just what it was… was he… perhaps… _in love_?

Sans looked over to find Alphys swooning, her face flustered and her eyes shimmering. "…you okay alphys?" he asked. Alphys turned to Sans, a gleam in her eyes. "Shh. It's okay Sans, now I understand… a forbidden love is the ultimate motivation! She seems so young, but I won't judge,"

Sans stared at Alphys, wondering just what in the heck she was talking about. Frisk? Love? Did she actually think…?

Before Sans could say anything, Alphys trotted away, humming as she continued to work on the medicines, leaving Sans to look over the painkillers that were being processed. Well… while he certainly felt an affection for the human, it certainly didn't feel like it was anything out of the ordinary. Instead, he felt it might be more like how he feels for Papyrus, that need to protect her from all harm.

As the last the medicine finished, Sans yawned along with Alphys. They had created dozens of different medicines, all each with their label, their purpose, contents and side effects. For Sans, this felt eerily familiar, that sense of nostalgia overwhelming him when he realized he had once stood beside Gaster in the same manner when they had created a vial of monster medicine. Dread filled him with disgust.

"Well Sans, I'll keep my word. I'll even try to keep Mettaton away from Snowdin, as long as you don't come barging in here again with threats," Alphys said with a nervous smile, watching as the skeleton's spirits lifted when he carried the full medicine cabinet in his arms. "thanks alphys, seeya in a **vial,** " Sans said, walking out of the lab. "I would hope not with that sour personality," Alphys replied, watching as the door closed. Well, at least she got to know him better, she figured. From the corner of the room, a dark presence had overlooked them while they worked, but as usual, no one could see him. His head tilted, walking amongst Alphys as his long black robe floated behind him; he looked at all the familiar machinery and papers. Without thinking too much on it, he decided to continue watching Sans, disappearing while Alphys tried to begin sorting the papers.

Sans walked the lighted hallway, making sure she didn't follow behind him before his blue eye flickered, and the hallway turned into snow. He looked around but realized it was dark. Oh _shit_.

Looking all around, he didn't find a trace of either them, but the puzzles were solved, which meant…

Once more, his blue eye flickered, and now the snow he walked warped into the snow behind his house. He ran to the front with the cabinet in his arms, putting it down as he swung open the door, finding Papyrus half asleep watching the TV.

"SANS! THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HERE, THE HUMAN WAS SWEATING SO MUCH I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF THE BLANKETS AND TURN ON THE FAN. MY BEDSHEETS ARE SOAKED, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY LAUNDRY-"

Sans stood speechless before running up the stairs and into his room, leaving the cabinet in the doorway. Papyrus sighed, getting up and bringing it inside, wondering what it was. "ME…DI…CI..NE... ME…DI…CINE? MEDICINE? OH, SANS BROUGHT MEDICINE! I GUESS WE WONT NEED MORE MONSTER MEDICINE."

In Papyrus' room, Sans quickly turned off the fan, stared at Frisk who shivered in her clothes. He looked to the desk beside the bed and noticed a bottle of monster cold medicine. Oh god, _why_?

He panicked, trying to remember what he read earlier whilst covering Frisk up. Negative side effects for monster cold medicine included… included…

Frisk struggled for air, her eyes closed. Sans looked at her, remembering the side effects. Trouble breathing, and blindness.

From the corner of the room, Gaster overlooked his son with disgust, shaking his head. Beside him stood that bright angelic woman who would on occasion talk to him—she too no longer existed it seemed, but could manifest at intervals. "Do you know how to cure the side effects, Gaster?" asked the woman with concern in her voice. Gaster turned to her, shrugging as he began to move his hands. She smiled, her hand touching his shoulder. "Thank you. I know you don't like us humans, but… but thank you in trusting us."

Gaster watched as the woman began to turn so bright against his darkness, manifesting into form in the real world. Sans had turned, startled, wondering what was going on? Gaster stared, his form turning into darkness as he watched ever vigilant.

"you again," Sans whispered, tears streaming from his eye sockets from the frustration. The woman smiled kindly, nodding. "Yes my child, I've come briefly, I can't keep my form much longer. Gaster has told me the cure to the side effects, quickly, write it down,"

Sans wasted no time, scribbling it all down as the angel's form began to glitch out. "wait, i have questions about you," Sans began to say, watching as she began to disappear. "I'm sorry Sans," she whispered sweetly, disappearing completely. From downstairs, sans could hear Papyrus cheer on Mettaton, and the quietness of the room filled him with determination. Thankfully, Alphys seemed to be on good enough terms for him to go back. Without another moment to lose, he went downstairs and grabbed the flu medicine and put it on the desk upstairs, walking to Papyrus as calmly as he could. "hey paps. i'm going out again, but uh… if you could give the human the medicine on the table in about six hours, that'd be great,"

Papyrus nodded, noticing a few lines underneath the eye sockets of his brother. "OKAY BROTHER, BUT COME BACK SOON AND READ ME MY BEDTIME STORY. I WONT SLEEP WITHOUT IT."

Sans smiled, his hand patting Papyrus' skull before exiting the house. The last time he forgot to read him his bedtime story, he had knocked out on the floor with the cereal bowl on his head.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Upstairs, Frisk dreamed wonderful dreams, some with Uncle Juju, and others with Sans, both interchanging as the hours passed by. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Papyrus sleeping on the floor and Sans fast asleep on a chair with his head and arms on the bed, a bed time story book fallen on the floor. She smiled contently, snuggling under the bedsheets as she yawned, feeling still a bit sleepy. They were not like mama, but Sans really did remind her of Uncle Juju when she was away. Uncle Juju and his son, Junior, once happened to take care of her while she had been sick, and she awoke to find them in a similar fashion. The memories of Uncle Juju filled with her a gentle sadness, and with a lot of happiness at the same time, and now, her new friends filled with a lot of happiness that brought out a tiny bit of sadness. It was nice to have these memories with her, Frisk figured, but it was nicer to have these new friends.

" _Hope you don't lose 'em,"_ thought Chara, watching her from the door, her arms crossed. She wanted to tell her that so bad, but she had a game to play. She watched Frisk fall asleep, and wondered just how _bad_ Frisk would break down when she crushed it all in the end. Overkill, she was certain, _absolute control_.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy Barks:**

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Sup guys.

I updated the cover image, done by yours truly by both hand and… mousepad coloring (don't recommend unless you're a masochist). I don't know how big the image you can see is, but if it's fairly big, you'll notice the small details which will make sense as the story progresses.

I've noticed the views and follows/favs, thanks guys. I didn't think my version of my frisk in Undertale would be enticing, lol. Reviews would be nice, I seriously don't know what to think.

Above all, thanks for the support.

Much love,

-PvW


	5. Birthday Blues y Sueños

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Updated 5.20.2016 for errors.

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 **Chapter 5: Birthday Blues y Sueños**

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An entire week had passed by and the skeleton brothers were beginning to get hopeful when Frisk had begun to wake more frequently and her sniffling had decreased. Papyrus didn't understand why the human was so delicate and so sickly, but Sans had gone to extreme lengths to make sure Papyrus didn't blame himself for her near fatal illness or knew that that Frisk had been deathly ill since putting her in his bed.

"BROTHER, I'M DOING LAUNDRY AGAIN, DO YOU HAVE ANY?" Asked Papyrus, picking up piles of sweaty bedsheets. Frisk sure did seem to sweat a lot, what a weird human.

"eh, yeah, go **softly** on it," Sans shrugged, passing him his sweaty jacket. Papyrus stared at the jacket, asking as he picked it up, "SANS, YOU NEVER LET ME BORROW YOUR JACKET."

Sans raised the line above his eye socket. "so?"

Papyrus shrugged. "WHY DID YOU LET THE HUMAN BORROW IT? IS SHE… YOUR FRIEND? HAVE YOU…"

Sans stared at his brother, putting down the soft blue fabric and the sewing needle beside him on the bed while he picked up a glass of milk from the floor when Papyrus dropped the linens and took out a book. "HM, LET'S SEE HERE… AH YES. HAVE YOU DATED THE HUMAN? IT SAYS,"

Sans was midway drinking the milk when Papyrus came up with that absurdity. Sans spit out his milk, looking at Papyrus' dating book and wondered why did he had it on him? "paps, hold up," began Sans, but Papyrus continued anyways. "THAT ONCE YOU HAVE DATED AND THE FEELING IS MUTUAL, ONE CAN EXCHANGE THINGS, SUCH AS JACKETS, LOCKETS, RINGS, AND OBJECTS. JACKETS ARE SIGNS OF GOING STEADY, LOCKETS OF ENDEARING LOVE, RINGS OF ETERNAL LOVE, AND OBJECTS ARE WHAT YOU SEE FIT."

Sans stared at Papyrus with a look of 'are you serious', milk dripping down his grin. "can i talk now?" asked Sans, staring at Papyrus who nodded. "first of all **, NO**. have you noticed that the human is a _kid_? she's just a wee baby bones! why would you ever think a kid has interest in dating? and why do you have that book on you?" Sans exclaimed in exasperation, his arms in the air. Alphys and now Papyrus. Was she infecting people with this sick… what did she call it… a _ship_? _"She'll get older,"_ she argued when he returned to lab. Tch. Well, she's a kid now, so not happening any time soon.

Papyrus looked nervous, walking towards Sans and sitting down beside him. Sans calmed down, looking at the uneasiness in Papyrus. "SHE… SHE _FLIRTED_ WITH ME, SANS. WHILE YOU WERE AT WORK AND I WAS LOOKING AFTER HER, SHE WOKE UP AND WE STARTED TALKING, AND THEN SHE FLIRTED WITH ME,"

Sans stared at Papyrus, realizing now what was going on. Ah, she flirted with him again. "wow, really paps? i thought the only girl who could like you was mom," joked Sans, laughing as he patted Papyrus' back, but Papyrus didn't laugh with him.

"SANS… I MISS MOTHER."

A gentle silence enveloped the brothers who stared at the floor. "…yeah. me too, but hey, as long as we remember her, she'll be alive in our hearts," Sans mustered, hating himself for quoting his father. Papyrus looked over at Sans, almost with a look of shock before it softened into a smile. "YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN THINKS I'M COOL. SHE CALLED ME 'JUANDISIMO'. (This is literally my play of the name Juan and awesomeness or cool idk) I DUNNO WHAT SHE SAYS SOMETIMES WITH AN ACCENT AND SHE NAMES PEOPLE I DON'T KNOW. SHE MUST MISS HER FAMILY A LOT. BUT AT LEAST SHE THINKS I'M COOL AND AWESOME LIKE THIS JUAN GUY. I TURNED HER DOWN THOUGH, I LIKE HER BUT IN A PLATONIC WAY AS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK."

Sans looked at Papyrus, laughing and nodding in agreement. "…that's good. she might be delirious from sleeping, maybe she mistook you for this 'juan' just like she keeps calling me 'juju'. but hey, you must be really awesome like him, right?"

Papyrus beamed, standing up. "THANK YOU SANS, I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW. ARE YOU FINALLY MAKING ANOTHER JACKET? YOU SHOULD MAKE THE HUMAN ONE, I HEAR SHE LIKES PURPLE JUST LIKE MOM." He picked up the linen and the blue sweaty jacket, happy to know Sans was being so brotherly lately again. He missed the way Sans would be when they were younger, before he began filling his life with nothing but comedy, laziness, and puns, oh dear god, that many puns that should be a **pun** ishable crime.

Sans looked down at the blue material, chuckling. "will do. taking care of frisk is my **juan** job" he grinned and winked, watching as Papyrus groaned and left his room.

*********°*********•*********°*********

By the end of week two, Papyrus had their home, save for San's room, sparkling clean, filled with fresh linens, had installed a 'bathroom' and a bedroom upstairs next to Sans' room. He always wondered why Sans' blueprint of a house had a master bedroom and a balcony if they weren't going to use it and put wallpaper in front of where the door would have gone. He had almost forgotten about that room hadn't Sans brought it up a few days ago.

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 **Flashback- Two Days Prior**

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Sans stared at a paper while lounging on the couch, watching Papyrus come in with fresh groceries for making spaghetti. "…hey paps, how do you feel about the human staying with us forever?" asked Sans, noticing that Papyrus immediately turned around. "SANS, SHE CAN'T STAY HERE, I MUST CAPTURE HER ONCE SHE'S ALL BETTER SO THAT I CAN JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!"

Sans laughed. "…really now? you went on a date with the human and you're still going to turn her in? then who's gonna be your best friend?"

Papyrus looked down, nodding in agreement. "SO ITS NORMAL FOR ME TO FEEL THIS WAY? I SECRETLY DIDN'T WANT THE HUMAN TO GET BETTER. BUT THEN, HOW WILL I JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD?"

Sans laughed once more. "yeah paps, its normal and well… you can always join the royal guard, but how often do you meet a human like frisk?"

Papyrus sighed, taking the groceries into the kitchen. "YOU'RE RIGHT SANS, RIGHT AS ALWAYS. IS THAT WHY YOU GAVE UP ON BEING THE ROYAL SCIENTIST?" Papyrus asked, his voice loud as ever as he unpacked the groceries. Sans was not ready for that reply, his hand crumpling the juvenile drawing of the house and the well-designed blueprints behind it. He forced his grin back on for Papyrus who came out of the kitchen, laughing that fake laugh along with it. "…yeah, why be a royal scientist who is always cooped up inside a lab when i could be out here with my best brother ever?"

Papyrus grinned, sitting beside Sans on the couch and noticing the papers. "AWW BROTHER, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS. I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE MOTHER, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD. EVER SINCE YOU STOPPED TRYING TO BE A SCIENTIST, YOU'VE BECOME LAZY."

Sans stared at Papyrus, trying not give off anything but his usual grin. "…i like not doing anything, it's relaxing. hey. so, remember when we built this house? i looked back at the blueprints and realized we have an extra room we sealed off with wallpaper. let's make room for frisk."

Papyrus noticed the sudden change in subject, as always, but went with it. "YES BROTHER, I REMEMBER NOW. I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW HOME I ACCIDENTLY GLUED YOU TO THE WALL." Papyrus noticed that genuine smile on Sans, laughing along with his brother as they reminisced and got to work.

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 **Present**

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"sup," mumbled Sans, looking tired and falling on the couch. Papyrus put his hands on his hips. "YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', I ASKED YOU TO CLEAN YOUR ROOM IN CASE FRISK GOT UP,"

Papyrus knew that would interest Sans immediately, his short body shooting up and looking at Papyrus. "she's finally up?" he asked, sitting up before finally getting back up on his feet.

Without needing to respond to his question, little Frisk ran down the stairs, her skin radiant and her eyes sparkling with life. "Sans!"

On cue, Sans opened his arms, embracing the kid as relief washed over him. After two weeks of intensive medication and a few days at the lab with Alphys, she was finally back on her feet and looking better than ever. He noticed that her sweater was cleaned, as well as her jeans, and he looked at Papyrus. "I LET THE HUMAN BORROW ONE OF YOUR WHITE SHIRTS, IT FIT LIKE A PIJAMA. SHE DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO BORROW YOUR SHORTS,"

Sans didn't know what to say to that, but at least it looked like she was fresh out of the shower and clean—much better than being drenched in sweat and smelling like it. "well its good to see you kiddo, did ya take your vitamins?" asked Sans in a sleepy voice, yawning. She better be, he didn't spend most of his nights trying to make them edible _and_ nutritious. The girl nodded, pointing to the kitchen. "Paps and I made spaghetti! Let's eat before we go exploring!" she beamed with pride, her fingers twiddling with the short strands of brown hair was had begun to reach her mid neck after months of almost not growing. Sans gave her a tired smile, sitting once more on the couch. "sure, bring me a plate. let's eat at the couch,"

Papyrus watched Frisk go into the kitchen, sitting down at the other end of the couch. "YOU'RE LIKE FATHER WHEN HE BEGAN SPENDING MORE TIME AT THE LAB, ARE YOU…" Began to ask Papyrus when Sans' head turned and looked terrified, almost a look of horror on his face. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. "…ER… ARE YOU EATING ENOUGH SPAGHETTI? FRISK HEARD ABOUT THE STORY OF THE GRYFTROT AND SHE WANTS TO FIND HIM, SO YOU NEED YOUR STRENGTH."

When Sans heard Papyrus' comment, he froze with a look of horror he was sure. He. hated. Gaster. And now he was slowly turning into that terrible father, good grief. It was bad enough he inherited his magic powers, and intelligence, but now he was beginning to act like him. Well, at least Sans knew better than to act like him, he would never hurt his brother or little Frisk… err… hurt her again. Damnation, he's hurt her in the past but that doesn't count _now_ , this is a new timeline. From what he'd been inferring these past two weeks, Florencia may be Frisk's original _deceased_ mother and this 'Juju' her uncle. Frisk may have been targeted or her family was targeted, for reasons unknown, and she fell down here as a result of running away. He wasn't sure what else happened in her previous life before being 'Frisk', but from what Chara said, her real name might trigger something, and most importantly, Florencia may know more about why he shouldn't say her real name in front of her. Her previous life was a mystery and Sans wanted to know what baggage it had which may complicate the future of all monsters…

Frisk stared at Sans, looking back at Papyrus who shrugged but nodded as if to say, try again. "S-sans, here's your plate…" she whispered, looking down with a blush, not knowing if perhaps he didn't like it already. She had made it, after all.

Sans snapped out of it, looking at the plate and realizing it smelled edible. He looked at Papyrus who was already chowing down on it like there was no tomorrow—the texture looked different aswell. "…thanks kiddo," Sans softly whispered back, watching her smile as she ran back into the kitchen and brought herself a plate. "Mama and I used to cook all the time, and pasta was what I learned first. Paps really likes spaghetti, so I thought I'd say thanks by cooking it," Frisk explained, watching the skeleton brothers with intense eyes, her heart beating fast. Did they like it?

Papyrus' cheeks glowed orange while tears streamed down. "THIS IS LIKE SPAGHETTI HEAVEN. YOU HAVE TO TEACH ME AND UNDYNE HOW TO COOK IT, HUMAN. YOU SHOULD COME TO MY COOKING LESSONS."

Sans bit into the pasta, bracing himself in case the kid's cooking was a dud, but he found it to be… actually pretty darn good. _"Damn. Good job teaching your kid to cook, Florencia!"_ Sans thought to himself, taking another bite before Papyrus' comment caused him to nearly choke. "…wait, no, paps, that's a bad idea."

Frisk looked at Sans, confused, but happy to know that he too shared a blue glow under his cheeks and his grin seemed happy which meant the pasta was a success. She wondered if she could remember the ChocoFlan recipe…

"WHY BROTHER? OH. CAUSE UNDYNE WANTS TO CAPTURE THE HUMAN? WELL, WHAT IF THEY BECOME FRIENDS LIKE I DID? … NO? …WHAT IF WE DRESSED HER UP LIKE A MONSTER WHEN WE GO OUT? WAIT, NO, HOW ABOUT SHE WEARS THE HOODIE YOU MADE HER SO THAT NO ONE WILL RECOGNIZE HER?"

Sans stared at Papyrus, shaking his head when he proposed that Undyne could become friends with Frisk. Oh Paps, so naïve. Sans continued to eat his spaghetti, but stopped when Papyrus gave away his surprise. Oh shit. _Why_? He looked at Papyrus with a peeved expression, and Papyrus realized his mistake. "OH MY BAD, DON'T LISTEN TO ME HUMAN, SANS DOESN'T HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY,"

Sans sighed, feeling defeated. Now, not only had Papyrus ruined his surprise gift for the kid, but now he had to come up with a birthday gift because Papyrus thought to bring it up and it hadn't occurred to Sans that maybe humans celebrate birthdays _every year_. Frisk on the other hand, overhearing their conversation, began to get excited. "Really? My birthday is about a month or two away… wait, are you going to throw me a birthday surprise?" asked Frisk, her accent coming out again momentarily.

Papyrus grinned. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL THROW YOU BEST 7TH BIRTHDAY PARTY SNOWDIN HAS EVER SEEN."

Sans smiled, looking at the two get excited like the two kids they were, reminding him what he and his brother used to be like when they were much younger. He turned on the tv, Mettaton on it as usual, singing and talking—it was a great noise to drift off to, his thoughts drifting back the good ol' days he had buried long ago in the back on his mind along with Chara, those bitter sweet days... His eyes slowly closed, his need for sleep getting the better of him after so many sleepless nights and worry.

 **Flashback- Tween Sans and Young Papyrus**

"I, THE AMAZING ARIAL, WILL THROW YOU THE BEST BIRTHDAY THE CORE HAS EVER SEEN, YA HEAR, PAPYRUS?" Declared Arial, throwing the small baby bones in the air who giggled and weee'd. Gaster sat on his recliner, reading the daily news as usual with his glasses on, looking over to Arial and the young child. "Are you sure you should be spoiling these skele-youngins like so? Why, when I was their age, there was no such thing as 'birthday parties'."

"HMPH. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SUCH A SOUR PUSS SOMETIMES, GASTER. WHY, I ASK MYSELF SOMETIMES HOW YOU MANAGED TO STEAL MY SKELLY-HEART,"

Sans grinned, eating a hotdog as he came from the kitchen. "because he was your first admirer and he gave you a romantic looking locket, amiright?"

Arial smiled, looking over at Gaster who returned the same look, both staring at each other with that goofy grin plastered on their faces until they laughed at each other. "Of course, how could I, the greatest scientist of all time, be able to resist your foolish mother's sense of humor? And this scarf is absolutely _ravishing_. She truly is amazing,"

Sans looked away, eating his hot dog with minimal ketchup and noticing one of the monitors spike up. "uh…dad… there's a strange reading from sector 3. also, i'm noticing a strange reading from the SOUL machine in level 9. should i help you?"

Gaster's smile fell, shaking his head. "No, be a good skelly, and go over your science notes. Soon enough I'll bring you with me to work—you'll be the next royal scientist I'm sure."

Sans sighed, rolling his eyes as he walked over to his mother whose face also had fallen. What did the strange readings mean?

"Arial, you must be firm and capture—Arial!" Shouted Gaster, frustration overwhelming his calm demeanor when Arial had put down Papyrus next to their dog and had walked out of the living room and into the hallway outside their home. Papyrus who had been put down on the couch with Rex, the dog, looked at Sans, wondering what was going on. Sans could only grin, giving him the thumbs up. "don't worry lil'bro. **Mom** ster is going to go do her duties as captain of the royal guard," Papyrus grinned, yawning as he laid down, drifting into sleep soon enough, clinging to the dog. Sans on the other hand, walked to the door realized that his parents were still there, arguing about the same subject, as always. His father didn't like it when their mother showed the human children mercy—but then again, their mother was the best fighter, which meant that she knew what she was doing, right?

Outside the apartment home, Arial shook her head, feeling Gaster's hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me, Arial. You're the best fighter the underground has ever seen; you have to capture the human. We can't keep these human children going about the underground like they own the place—there _must_ be order!"

Arial turned to Gaster, her hand grabbing his hand and putting the palm of it unto her cheekbone, his hands so smooth. "GASTER DEAR… I CAN'T PUT DOWN A HUMAN CHILD. THEY'RE JUST CHILDREN! THEY'RE LIKE SANS AND PAPYRUS, DON'T YOU SEE? I PROMISED TORIEL I'D SHOW MERCY—UNLESS THAT CHILD IS ABSOLUTELY EVIL LIKE THEIR ANCESTORS BEFORE THEM, THEN YES, BUT UNTIL THEN, I WILL SHOW THEM MERCY. I'M THE AMAZING ARIAL, AFTER ALL." She said softly, but firmly with her enthusiasm. Gaster sighed, closing his eye sockets as he embraced the tall skeleton woman before him. "…Fine, but I don't like it, Arial. The Red Zone has never reacted to humans **waltzing** around. Look, let's just… let's just go back to the kids and spend this nice day off together, as a family. Everyone else can handle sector 3, and I can look into the Red Zone tomorrow, how about it, apple of my eyes?" asked Gaster, his expression softening.

From the other side of the door, Sans shrugged, his hand over his **skelly belly**. heh. Good one. But man, was he hungry. Was mom going to cook tonight? He loved her cooking, ain't no one cook as good as her! Well, perhaps Mrs. Dreemurr, but **Mom** ster's cooking was da best! That and he hadn't seen Mrs. Dreemurr in forever it seemed… where _was_ she? He couldn't remember her voice any more, or what she looked like, although maybe she looked like King Asgore? A goat? What about those kids… um.. huh. He forgot their names. No, wait, his best friend was… Asriel! That's right! It sounded like Arial, how could he forget? Who knows who that girl was though, but all he knew was that she was _annoying_. Man.

Arial and Gaster came back in, both looking at each other with that lovesick stare. Gross, parental love.

"Hey Sans… how's about… we all cook tonight? I'm feeling like pasta, how about you, dear?" asked Gaster, looking over to Arial who grinned. "AW, PAPY IS FAST ASLEEP. IT'S NOT EVEN **PASTA** BED TIME, NYAH HAH HAH! LET'S SURPRISE HIM, SANS DEARIE! I REMEMBER I USED TO COOK THE HUMAN GIRL A PASTA SHE CALLED 'SPAGHETTI'. I HAVEN'T COOKED THAT IN FOREVER, I'M SURE PAPY WILL APPRECIATE IT."

Gaster managed a smile, but Sans knew his father didn't like the royal human child. No one seemed to. No one seemed to talk about her anymore. "Right-o. Come Sans, you _love_ tomatoes I'm sure," Gaster replied, walking to the kitchen with Arial. Sans followed in pursuit, making a face. "ew, no. I can barely stand ketchup."

Arial giggled, opening the fridge. "AW SANS, BUT CHARA ALWAYS CONVIENCED YOU TO EAT TOMATOES,"

Gaster looked away in disinterest, looking around for the pots and pans. Sans made a face. "chara?"

Finding the pan he was looking for, Gaster looked over his shoulder, noticing that Arial looked a bit upset. "YOU… ALREADY FORGOT ABOUT HER?" She asked, but she managed to smile nonetheless. "THAT'S OKAY. IT'S BETTER THIS WAY, RIGHT GASTER? OH, BUT I DID THINK SHE'D BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND," She cooed, putting out all the ingredients, including the tomatoes. Sans once more looked at his mother, wondering just who… oh. Was it that annoying girl who hung out with Asriel?

"oh, her. nah, asriel liked her, she's weird though. whatever did happen to asriel and his mom?" asked Sans, noticing that the atmosphere in the room had suddenly gotten darker. Arial managed to fake a smile, while Gaster seemed to be in the corner chopping up the veggies, almost as if he did not want to be a part of the conversation. "HEY SANS, HELP ME WITH THIS…"

Later that night, Papyrus stared at the mountain of spaghetti, his grin plastered on him. Nothing could worry him now. "WOWIE, MOTHER, THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!" Exclaimed Papyrus, munching down on his spaghetti. Arial laughed, but accepted the compliment nonetheless. " **WELL, I GUESS THE BIG BIRTHDAY BASH WILL BE IN ANOTHER CENTURY OR SO, UNTIL PAPYRUS HAS MATURED INTO SANS' AGE RANGE. A WELL-EDUCATED AND EAGER YOUNG SKELLY, MY BUT HOW THE YEARS PASS BY**." Arial thought while Sans quietly ate his spaghetti, a grin also on his skull, silently praising and hoping his mother would create more spaghetti soon. He had hated tomatoes but now… they tasted alright.

 **Present**

Sans could distantly hear his name being called out, but… it felt so nice to dream…

Frisk and Papyrus looked at Sans who fell asleep sitting down, his face on what was left of the spaghetti and drool pooling unto the plate. "…ew…" Frisk breathed out, wearing the long purple jacket that fit loosely—it almost fit like a dress, and the collar was full of fur, as well as the hoodie, but it seemed to be attached with a zipper—it was a dress-jacket! The white fur was so warm, just like Sans' jacket, and she felt ever so happy to know that he had made this for her. "LETS GO HUMAN, LET'S FIND THE LEGENDARY GYFTROT,"

Frisk nodded, turning off the TV and placing a gentle kiss on Sans' forehead much like he would do at night when he read her and Papyrus bed time stories.

His eye sockets were so heavy, and they fell down once more, continuing his snoring as he dozed off once more.

 **Flashback- Teen Sans**

"So now you understand my son, why we must do this," Gaster explained, ending his lecture beside the SOUL machine in level 9. Sans stood in front of his father, wearing his now usual black slacks, black dress shirt, and white lab coat, trying to appear sophisticated like his father.

"yeah, i understand now. wow. have you explained this to mom?" he asked, staring at the scary looking machine whose red eyes for some strange reason caused him to feel like he should remember someone. "Of course not, you know how your mother is, correct? She'll not only lecture me, but… but I fear she may just hate me in the end. I would not be able to endure your mother's scorn,"

Sans shrugged, but he understood his father. He was looking out for the welfare of the monsters, whereas his mother sympathized with the humans, whom would sometimes attack and fight back. _"THEY'RE SCARED OF US,"_ she would argue.

"Humans are inherently evil, Sans. I do not believe that humans can be good. It is because I want to keep your mother safe, that I will do anything in my power…" he whispered, looking down at his palms which were now hollow. "…what did you tell mom?" Sans asked, knowing that his mother had fainted when she saw what happened to his palms.

Gaster chuckled, patting Sans' skull. "'Twas a terrible lab experiment, but thankfully, nothing serious happened to _you_."

Sans grinned, looking around the room which seemed to get chilly… weird. "hey dad, can you show me the results?" he asked, his eyes staring at his father with excitement at what their research had yielded. Gaster's soft smile turned into a grin, his purple eye amplifying the hollow points in his hands which began to glow purple as well, interacting with the residue of their experiment. "Grand thing, ain't it!" shouted his father, his grin intensifying with power as a giant skull began to manifest,

Sans stared in awe, but that chilly wind inside this room never stopped pestering him. It was weird, his father never felt that chilly air, just him. "its amazing, father. i kinda wish i could do it too," Sans sheepishly replied. Gaster's purple eye flickered, and a gleam caught Sans' eyes. It looked… scary. "Don't wish for something that will become a reality. Once I figure out how to get this darn thing to be useful, you can have your very own. My research into a damage against evil creatures such as humans has been fruitful I believe, and I cannot wait to implement it…"

Sans smiled, looking at the watch on his wrist. "oh, hey, paps is getting out of school, i'll pick him up and then we can go over the research pertaining to the anomaly we spotted in the timeline theory,"

Gaster nodded, the giant skull disappearing along with the purple glow. "Go on, I'll be-" began Gaster, when the alarm went off. Sans looked up, and stared at his father who forced a smile. "It's fine, I'll catch up to your mother. She's said she was going to confront that pesky child today, and I will not let it harm her in any way, not as long as I'm here,"

Sans exhaled, nodding as he left.

While Sans was away, Gaster roamed the underground, attempting to find where the human and Arial had gone off to. The reports said the human was armed and dangerous—this worried Gaster greatly. Even if Arial was the best fighter, it didn't mean that she could hold her own against a determined child, ready to kill her. A few monsters spotted them near the Garbage Dump, which was where he was headed. He could see what appeared to be bullet shells on the floor—that was definitely not good. Gaster hurried, hearing shots being fired. "Arial, no," he breathed out, now running even though he was not the athletic type, beginning to hear what sounded like Arial's battle music.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Arial's battle music: [Undertale Remix] SharaX- Megalotrousle

Link: watch?v=kf692zBUOac

*********°*********•*********°*********

There, in the distance, he could see the human child with its yellow soul popped out, shooting at the Mad Dummy while Arial continued to try to talk to it. "Arial, get away from him!" Gaster screamed at the top of his lungs, jogging his way to them as close as he could. Arial turned to him, her eyes staring into his while she smiled, her long blue battle dress (which was basically her blue dress with bone armor on her torso, shoulders and her waist and pelvic region) shimmering and her white, snow white hair shined with that purple flower headband adorning her frame. She looked absolutely drop-dead _gorgeous_ , and her smile, that captivating smile…

"PLEASE HUMAN, WE DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU." Arial urged, but to no avail. Instead, The Mad Dummy continued to taunt the human, moving around the battle arena as each bullet penetrated him, but did not damage him. The human looked frustrated, shooting away while the Mad Dummy moved. Gaster watched, horror overwhelming him when he realized what was happening. "N-no! Arial, MOVE!"

Arial turned to Gaster, wondering what he meant, but she realized it a second too late. One of the bullets that had penetrated the Mad Dummy had flown through him, and had struck her temple, her eye sockets widening when she realized her split decision to defocus on the battle was her demise. The human looked horrified himself, not meaning to hit the annoying skeleton. "I-I'm sorry Miss Arial!" he shouted with a bit of accent, hoping it was not fatal. The skeletal woman fumbled back, falling into garbage as the lights in her eye sockets began to dim. "I BELIEVE IN YOU HUMAN…" Arial shouted, feeling her bones get weak. "…PAPY… SANS…" she whispered to herself, the world beginning to turn black. "ARIAL!" Cried Gaster as loudly as he could, unable to move from the shock of it all. He watched her turn to him, smiling much like when they had met, when they had wed… that, ever loving smile, whispering his name as she turned to dust.

The human, continued to shoot the Mad Dummy, firing as fast as he could now, unable to believe that he had caused him to kill an innocent bystander—he! What kind of cowboy shoots an innocent bystander? No, it was an accident, and now he must show this Mad Dummy what frontier Justice was like! "Taste my Frontier Justice! That Miss Arial was a darn tootin' good monster, I'll have you know! She was mer' friend!" He shouted as he gritted his teeth, unaware that his bullet supply was running low from shooting at this dummy. Gaster finally moved, turning to the human, unable to believe what he was hearing. "…Justice…? I'll show you justice…" Gaster's voice muttered under his breath, rage filling him whole, awaiting the human's demise. He could predict it, he could not damage the dummy at all, and if he escaped… well… he was more than welcomed to finish the human.

The human's trigger fingers pressed the gun's trigger as fast as they could, but suddenly, that awful sound came back. Empty. He snarled, looking at his bullet pouch but realized… he… had… none. Oh no. Overcome with anger over Miss Arial's death, he had wasted all this bullets. …No. A real cowboy does not give up. He wasn't going to run away.

Gaster smiled, watching as the Dummy finished the human briefly after he had run out of bullets. The battle walls came down, and the battle music ended, the yellow soul leaving the corpse and floating in the air. Unlike the other humans, Arial was not here to save him, otherwise he would have taken the human in for experimentation but now… that human deserved to die, be executed for his crime. It was too bad Gaster did not deliver the finishing blow, but now he had a yellow soul to experiment with before delivering it to King Asgore.

Back in the apartment, Sans and Papyrus could smell the fresh spaghetti awaiting them in the kitchen. "OH BOY! MOM'S SURPRISE BIRTHDAY GIFT AGAIN! I'M FINALLY A BIG SKELLY LIKE YOU, SANS," Papyrus exclaimed, noticing a note on the fridge, but being unable to read it. He grabbed it, and stared at it before passing it to Sans. "SANS, WHAT DOES IT SAY?"

Sans looked down at the note. "it says," He began, "'sans and papy, i'm sorry i'm not here right now, but duty calls. i'll be back soon, and we can all sit down and eat birthday spaghetti. love, momster'"

Papyrus smiled, looking up to his taller brother. "WOW SANS, I CAN'T WAIT TO GROW AS TALL AS YOU," He grinned. Sans laughed, petting Papyrus' skull. "really? i'm not even tall. according to the growth chart, we skellys have our growth spurt a bit delayed, which is why we must drink a lot of milk while we're young and short, okay? here's your glass,"

Papyrus looked at the glass of milk, sipping on it as he went to sit on the couch, taking out his sketch pad and pencil. Sans meanwhile got his glass and turned on the TV, sitting beside Papyrus when he heard the news.

"The human threat has been eliminated, and our idol, The Amazing Ariel, died in the process, more on the shocking news at 6."

Papyrus hummed, drawing a thank you note for his mother while Sans stared at the TV, unable to believe it. Mom… no… no way. But dad…

He turned off the news, looking down at Papyrus who was carefree as ever, an orange glow on his cheekbones. "DO YOU THINK MOMSTER WILL LIKE IT? I'M SO HAPPY SHE MADE SPAGHETTI TODAY,"

Sans did not have the heart to tell him. Instead, his cheeks turned blue and he petted the top of his skull. "yeah kid. she loves us a lot."

Looking away, he thought about his last interaction with her—this morning.

" _SANS! YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFREE AND LAZY! YOU WORK TOO HARD WITH YOUR FATHER," She scolded, helping him put on his lab coat. "mom, i like helping dad. we'll get results faster if i help him,"_

 _Arial shook her head. "YOU SHOULD BE PATIENT, SANS. PATIENCE IS VIRTUE. YOU KNOW, I USED TO BE SO HYPER WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND I STILL AM, BUT, NOT AS BAD AS I USED TO BE. MY MOTHER AND TORIEL'S MOTHER WOULD TAKE US TO THESE MOUNTAINS ATOP, AND WE'D MEDITATE. I WAS SO BRASH, I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS STUPID, BUT GUESS WHAT? THEY KICKED MY BUTT BECAUSE THEY WERE PATIENT AND I WASN'T. THE POINT IS, YOU SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE ITS GONE. I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE TOP SIDE, BUT NOW… I DO. I MISS IT."_

 _Sans looked at his mom, watching her eyes get a bit sad when she spoke of the world on top. She would at times tell them stories of it—it sounded beautiful. "ALRIGHT, YOU MAY GO NOW, BUT PLEASE CONSIDER MY WORDS, SANS. MOMSTER LOVES YOU," She spoke lightly, kissing the top of his skull as he groaned, walking away without telling her he loved her too… he stopped doing that once he had begun to follow in his father's footsteps._

The hours rolled by, and not a word of Gaster or Arial. "SANS… WHERE'S MOM?" Papyrus asked, rubbing his eye socket as he yawned. It was getting late. "she's doing guard duties, remember? are you hungry? let's eat some of that spaghetti,"

Papyrus shook his head, looking down. "NOT WITHOUT MOMSTER."

Sans could feel the tears on his eye socket on the verge of falling down, but he fought them as best he could. He had to suck it up, for Papyrus. "hey, remember that one time mom was super late and she scolded us for not eating the stir fry she made?" Sans asked, kneeling down and looking at Papyrus who nodded. "well, this is just like that one time. she'd want us to eat the surprise she made with lots of love."

Reluctantly, the skeleton brothers sat down at the dinner table, each with their plate of spaghetti. They stared at it, the steam sizzling and its smell enticing, but Sans could not bring himself to eat it… Papyrus on the other hand, had begun to chow down, tears streaming down his eyes and that orange glow on his cheeks. "THIS IS THE BEST SPAGHETTI SHE'S MADE IN YEARS," He cried with happiness in his voice. Sans couldn't do it anymore, and he cried alongside his brother, taking a bite of the delicious spaghetti. "…yeah, it is… then again, she only makes it every other century,"

Sniffling, the brothers left their plates squeaky clean, both looking at each other and laughing. "why are we crying?" asked Sans, wondering if Papyrus knew what was happening. Did he overhear the news?

"BECAUSE SPAGHETTI IS THE BEST FOOD EVER, AND MOM HAS MADE LEGENDARY SPAGHETTI BECAUSE SHE'S SO AMAZING!" Exclaimed Papyrus, grinning as he looked at Sans, his eye sockets sleepy. "…hey, its **pasta** bed time. i'll read you a bed time story while momster is away,"

And so, the two brothers headed to Papyrus' room, his racecar bed awaiting him. He read his favorite book, watching as the small skeleton fell fast asleep, holding unto its stuffed monster as hard as he could in his sleep.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans' eye sockets opened, smelling cold spaghetti and his face feeling sticky. Oh. He got up, grabbing the plate and walking to the kitchen, putting the dish in the sink using his blue magic while he wiped his face with a napkin. Why did such a nice dream have _go there_? He hated relieving that terrible day. It was bad enough he was able to see Gaster's point of view, but to actually dream it again? It was the worst. Wanting to not think about it, Sans walked back to the couch, laying down and closing his eyes, not noticing when he fell asleep once more. Man, was he tired from the busiest two weeks of his life.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Continued**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The next few days were quiet without Arial around. Sans hadn't heard from his dad, and he had kept Papyrus inside the apartment for fear that the other monsters would tell Papyrus what happened. He was scared of going into the lab now, wondering what his father was thinking or doing. He hated humans. A human killed mom. It was only rational that he would do something brash, or completely unreasonable.

Tonight, Sans planned on going to the lab. After putting Papyrus to sleep, Sans went into his tidy room and opened the closet, looking at his full wardrobe. Black everywhere, but tonight he felt like going old school—shorts and a blue tee. He hadn't grown that much since he last wore them years ago which was a good thing. Just as he was about to close the door, he spotted a blue sweater with fur—mom had made it for him when he was younger. _"DON'T WORRY, YOU'LL GROW INTO IT"_ she told him, as an excuse for making it large because she used Gaster as a model. Sans smiled, taking out the jacket and noticing that it fit just slightly loose, but it felt so right. The soft fur caressed the base of his skull, and the soft fabric reminded him of his mother who loved this blue color. It was her only excuse for wearing the same looking dress, always making copies of it, sometimes with different kinds of colored fur.

The slender skeleton closed the closet door, putting the hoodie on as he lightly stepped across the home, exiting the apartment and using the elevator to go down to level 9. As the elevator door opened, Sans was surprised to see King Asgore who smiled and waved at him. "Howdy Sans. Up so late?"

Sans nodded silently, stepping into the elevator beside him. "…Sans… I'm sorry about Arial. Toriel would be heartbroken if she were here," King Asgore whispered, looking down with sad eyes.

Sans didn't know whether to ask what happened to her or if to say he was sorry about Toriel—he didn't know what happened to begin with. He opted out of talking back, silently looking down as the elevator descended down to level 9. Asgore looked at the small skeleton, "Your father called me in right now, saying he's got a breakthrough. Is that why you're here? I know you've been helping him and he always says great things about you. I suppose you're the Royal Scientist's Assistant," he chuckled, trying to break the unnerving silence. Asriel would be around his age now, wouldn't he? Would he be this serious, he wondered.

Sans shrugged, not really feeling like talking at the moment, walking out of the elevator as soon as it opened. They walked together, up until Sans noticed Rex's empty food bowl. Did dad forget to feed him? With everything that happened, Sans had forgotten about his pet dog, Rex, now it made sense why the house seemed so quiet and empty. He had left Rex down in the lab again. Asgore watched the kid, smiling when he turned to him and continuing to walk beside him as they searched for Gaster.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Gaster's theme song: [Udertale Remix] SharaX- Dark Darker yet Darker

Link: watch?v=68wk6m05ojw

*********°*********•*********°*********

There, next to the SOUL machine, Gaster stood talking into a recorder which at times translated words into text. Sans felt the sensation of fear overwhelming him when he saw his father. His black lab coat was floating and not touching the ground, and he his smooth skull had… cuts? On his head and on his right eye. What had he done? Asgore looked frightened as well, but he trusted his best friend Gaster. He always knew what was best.

Gaster could feel his throat burning, but he continued to talk, almost shouting, "…DARK, DARKER YET DARKER. THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING, THE SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER. PHOTON READINGS NEGATIVE. THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT SEEMS VERY, _VERY_ INTERESTING ... WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?"

Asgore was slightly confused looking at all the monitors in the room, all with different charts and data, but he was startled when not one, but _five_ skulls began to appear behind him, almost instantly, their purple glow strong, and Gaster's eye flickering yellow. "I CALL IT, THE GASTER BLASTER, BLASTING JUSTICE BEAMS AND TURNING HUMANS INTO SMITHEREENS," bellowed Gaster, cackling a maniacal laugh along with it.

Asgore chuckled awkwardly, nervously expressing, "Gaster Blaster… what a… nice name. How did you manage to make four more appear? The last time, you were barely able to make one," Sans too was surprised, but his amazement grew when all five began charge a purple glow in their mouth, blasting at each other and the walls, but no damage being done.

Gaster grinned, looking at the monitors. "Ah, _that_ Asgore is my little secret. Can you feel the power? My research in time and space has come down to all this… and my Gaster Blaster is only the beginning. Think of it, Asgore! Returning to a time when we, monsters, lived on the surface once more, but this time, with the power I have harnessed, we can keep those mongrels at bay!"

Sans looked beside him and found Asgore to be both intrigued and scared. Even so, Sans knew that their original plan was still dangerous—too dangerous. If something went wrong, if even the slightest miscalculation was made, bad things would happen. His father had worked on the theories over and over again, always saying there was room for improvement now but, it looked like she snapped. Did his facial injuries have to do with any of this? And his voice, it sounded hoarse, almost like he was forcing himself now. Underneath his eye sockets, it appeared dark—was he sleeping _at all_?

"Well, I'm glad we're closer to an alternative. I love to be back on the surface with Toriel," Asgore softly said, smiling and looking at Gaster whose grin turned darker and deeper. "I k..n..o..w. A..r..i..a..l.. w..i..l..l.. b..e.. b..a..c..k.. and we can all live h..a..p..p..i..l..y.. e..v..e..r.. a..f..t..e..r.."

Asgore laughed slowly and nervously, excusing himself and leaving he room.

Sans froze where he stood, unable to move even his fingers. "d-dad… y-you snapped. we can't go back just yet, something bad will happen," Sans managed to say, regretting what he had said when Gaster's purple glow took a hold of his body which then threw him on the floor hard. "Who is the royal scientist here? Go home and… actually…. I think it's time you and Rex fused."

Sans winced, looking at Gaster wondering what in the heck he was talking about. "rex?"

Gaster walked closer, his purple eye flickering as he moved his arm up, down, side to side, hitting Sans until he passed out. "You'll see."

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans' eyes opened, looking at Papyrus and Frisk at the top of the stairs while he laid on the bottom. "FRISK, I THOUGHT YOU HAD HIS BIG HEAD," Papyrus spoke as hush like as he could. "Sorry…" Frisk whispered, walking back downstairs and picking up the skull as Papyrus picked up the feet. Were they trying to move him upstairs? That explained why his body ached, he must've rolled down. Man, these dreams were killing him, why now? He needed to wake up, but… his eye sockets felt so heavy…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Continued**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans awoke, his body fastened down and tied to a restraining chair. Wait. Gaster only used this on humans…

"Welcome Sans, how do you feel?" asked Gaster, as his yellow eye flickered yellow, a small scalpel infused with purple glow cutting into Sans' right arm. As expected, the boy screamed and thrashed around, but the purple glow overwhelmed his body once more keeping him still as he continued. "Sans, Sans, Sans… you wished for my Gaster Blaster, did you not? Did you think power came to one easily? Now suck it up and think of it as… growing. You wanted to be stronger, right? Now, you'll be the strongest monster there was, next to your mother."

Sans could not scream, only tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched Gaster in horror, injecting him with a serum which was labeled 'Rex'. What the _hell_ was going on? The serum flowed into the cut, soon disappearing into the bone. Gaster turned on a button, an automated pen dropping unto a desk with paper and it began to move as he spoke. "Subject S-001, Sans. The improved mixture has been injected at 2300 hours, now awaiting for a reaction. Meanwhile, Subject G-001, is experiencing a burning sensation in the throat, possibly due to ingesting DT directly in order to augment KR. Possible serum for Subject S-001 in the works using G-001's outcome. Further researched needed."

Sans could feel himself getting sleepy, and falling asleep while his bones began to feel heavier.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"FATHER!" exclaimed Papyrus, watching as Gaster carried Sans using his purple magic, his face looking tired. "Papyrus, Father is tired. Please prepare me a plate of food and bring it to the couch. I will put Sans in his room."

Papyrus nodded, running to the kitchen and doing as he was told. When he came out of the kitchen, father was sitting on the couch, watching TV. It was a re-run of one of Arial's older episodes, her skit hilarious as always. "FATHER… WHERE IS MOTHER? SANS WON'T TELL ME." asked Papyrus, sitting next to his father who ate a plate of old stir-fry their mother had made before the spaghetti. Gaster watched the TV, watching as Arial's comedy skit switched over to her singing segments, singing about love and determination. "Papyrus, do you see your mother, singing in the TV?" asked Gaster.

Papyrus nodded. "YES, SHE'S AMAZING."

Gaster nodded. "That amazing woman of mine is gone. She's dead, Papyrus. She was killed by the human she tried so hard to protect. Now do you realize how foolish your mother was?"

Papyrus had begun to weep, sobbing words that were incomprehensible. "Do you know what her last words were? 'I believe in you human'. Tch. Really, shouting at the person who killed her that she _believes_ in them? She still showed mercy and kindness even when she died, that's _ridiculous_."

The small skeleton looked at his father with fear in his eyes. "FATHER…"

Gaster turned to Papyrus, a small smile on his face. "You'll be better than her, than Sans, than me… you look just like her, you know? You'll be _perfect_. Sans is entering his rebellious phase, he will not do, but you…" His hollow palm patted the young skeleton's head, putting his half-finished plate on the coffee table before leaving the apartment.

Papyrus cried alone, with only his mother's singing to comfort him, singing of kindness and compassion. Mother was always right, even when it seemed that Father was also right. Mother always knew best. After a long night of crying all that he could, Papyrus felt that it was out of his system. He could not support his brother, Sans. He had known before him, yet he tried his best to make Papyrus feel better, which meant he was dealing with it alone, as always. Papyrus walked into Sans' room, looking as his brother who groaned and cried in his sleep, sweating so much. "ITS OKAY BROTHER… WE'RE STILL TOGETHER, ALWAYS." Papyrus whispered, grabbing a blanket and putting it over his body, kissing his temple much like mother used to.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk smiled, looking at Papyrus. "Yeah, we're best friends forever," she beamed, also kissing the top of Sans' head, noticing that his eye socket had fluttered opened and that twitching had stopped. "…wait… stay here with me." he whispered, looking back at his brother and the human who had turned, both seeming surprised. "I'll read us a bed time story," Frisk smiled, running out of the room while Papyrus climbed unto the bed, wondering if all three would fit. "ARE YOU OKAY SANS? YOU'VE ALWAYS SLEPT ALONE, WELL, EXCEPT WHEN-"

Frisk came running back in, jumping on the bed as she snuggled against the skeletons. "Okay. A is for Apple…"

Sans smiled, turning to see his brother and Frisk as sleep once more overwhelmed him.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Continued**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The weeks passed, and Sans could feel his bones reacting to whatever his father injected him every now and then. Papyrus knew about Arial. When he woke up the next day, he hugged him and told him it was alright. Gaster, no doubt.

With Papyrus in school again, Sans had most of the day to himself, walking around the underground and noticing 'Now Hiring' boards. Maybe he should get a part time… or two. Gaster didn't seem to be coming back to the apartment anymore, no doubt obsessing over destroying humans now. During his walking, he found himself alone in the snow, walking as far as he could from the core… it felt nice. It felt nice to be away from it. He had spotting a plot of land that looked nice—perhaps he should move out of the apartment with Papyrus and get away from that maniac of a father. He didn't hate him as much as he thought he would, after all, he was his father, but what he did disturbed him. Rex. Did he kill the family dog? Fused?

Once alone in a wide open area, Sans was curious. Did he have that power now? the Gaster Blaster?

Concentrating on his blue magic, he could feel a familiar love—Rex. He stumbled back, horrified at first but the more he practiced, the more he could manifest the dog skull, who seemed eager to see him. Poor, happy Rex.

One day, after coming home spending his time practicing, Sans noticed a familiar coffee mug on the coffee table and newspaper. Before he could look around, a purple glow once more overwhelmed his body, his bones attempting to fight back and his blue magic trying help but Gaster's magic was too strong. He emerged from the shadows of the kitchen, his purple eye staring at Sans. Electronic sounds imitated a voice, his hands moving around in a sign language that Sans recognized, extra bones appearing to supplement it. It was the sign language they had come up with when he was really young and Papyrus was just a wee baby. "I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS. YOU HAVE FUSED WITH REX EASILY, AND APPEAR STRONGER, THAT IS GOOD. NOW FOR PHASE 2."

Sans began to scream, but the purple glow shut him up, throwing him around the household as a means of sedating him, until he passed out once more.

The familiar chair restrained him as Gaster looked to a wall, a light beam scanning him as he began to once more use his hands the extra hands that appeared to 'speak' with sign language, the light translating it while the pen scribbled it down, also in sign language. "w-what happened to your voice?" sans managed to ask. The hands continued to move until it stopped along with the pen. His left hand switched off the auto pen as he turned to Sans, his purple glowing eye piercing right through him as the hands signaled, "MY VOCAL CHORDS DETERIORATED DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF DT. MY MISTAKES WILL SERVE YOU AND PAPYRUS WELL."

Sans could feel the rage swelling up inside him. No. "leave papyrus out of this!"

Gaster's his electronic voice sounded awful. He was a _monster_. "REALLY NOW? GIVE ME A GOOD REASON TO."

Sans' chest heaved, panic rattling his bones. "i'll… i'll let you do whatever you want with me, just don't involve paps. please, i beg you, dad…"

Gaster looked at his son, thinking about his offer. It would make it easier and there wouldn't be much suspicion as to what was happening if he came willingly… "VERY WELL, COME TO MY LAB EVERY DAY AT NOON."

Sans could feel the horrible feeling inside his stomach. It felt like he had made a pact with the devil.

Every day, at noon, Sans would go to the lab. Every day, Gaster would conduct his improved experiments on him. Years passed, and Papyrus grew little by little as shown by the marks on the kitchen door frame, while Sans stayed at the same height and his bones grew thicker. By now, according to the growth chart, Sans should be almost as tall as Gaster but instead his slender body was now wider. Gaster explained it must have been a side effect of the initial fusion with Rex. _Of course_ something had to go wrong.

Today was like no other. In the lab. Pain. Laughing. Repeat. But today, Gaster looked happier in a sadistic kind of way. "No experimentation today, Sans. Today, I go to the core. Be a good skelly and monitor the readings, yes?"

Sans rolled his eyes, looking at the monitors with his arms crossed. Gaster seemed to be carrying with him a large rectangular machine—another experiment he figured. One of the monitors overlooked the core from the outside, everything was normal. Man. "i wish dad was just, blasted away." Sans whispered, his attention turning the SOUL machine whose creepy red eyes stared back at him, that unnerving chill on his spine as always.

In the core, Gaster positioned the time machine next to the edge, his purple eye flashing as a purple glow surrounded the area. "TIME TO RETURN TO THE PAST, TO RETURN TO AN ERA WHERE WE WERE YOUNG. ARIAL, I CAN FINALLY HOLD YOU ONCE MORE…" Gaster's voiced laughed. In the darkness, a shadow loomed over him, taking shape with the amount of power in the room. "H..E..Y.. G..A..S..T..E..R…" whispered a female demonic voice, a red glow in the black mass. Gaster, inside the time machine, set the time and place before stepping out far from it. "…C-CHARA?" Gaster asked in confusion, taking a step back when he recognized the manner in which the voice spoke. The black mass began to take form, her almost white human skin bright against the darkness of the room, appearing as though were broken porcelain, thin cracks running on her throat and face. Her hand held a sharp knife, her red eyes staring at him with a blood thirst that caused Gaster to take further steps back. "YOU DEMON SPAWN… YOU'RE DEAD. STAY DEAD!" Shouted Gaster, continuing to walk back. It was impossible for her to be alive, was this another delusion, at a time like this?

Chara grinned, tilting her head as the black mass began to fluctuate red, almost like pools of blood against black. "D..r..o..p.. d..e..a..d.., s..k..e…l..l..y.. d.. a.. d.." She growled with a sadistic laugh, lunging at him with her knife. Gaster's feet back up more out of impulse, his feet feeling the floor of the time machine as he stumbled and fell back, the machine falling down as well and the delicate circuitry sizzling as he laid inside the hollow of the rectangle. He laughed, staring as the ghost disappeared, but his laughter was short lived—the earth beneath him began to crack, and he fell while the time machine continued to exert its magic, the heavy part of the rectangle holding unto the strong earth that resisted the crumbling.

Bystanders watched as the great Dr. Gaster fell with his rectangular contraption, falling down into the core while his arms flung up, laughing as he his blaster shot into the air, shouting into nothingness. From a distance, it looked like he had finally hit rock bottom. As he disappeared, a great flashing white light imploded throughout most of the core, turning all workers and bystanders grey and into blocks that began to disappear as the light dimmed into nothingness.

Sans stared at the monitors, everything looking normal, until the SOUL machine began to malfunction, its red heart glowing along with the red eyes. "what the…" whispered Sans, walking over to the machine while leaving the monitors. He looked over the machine, wishing his father had explained the SOUL machine more thoroughly. He looked back and shock overwhelmed him when he saw the graphs and readings go past the acceptable levels. "what is he doing? he's gonna cause an accident," Sans snarled, noticing that he saw a black fire falling down from the core, purple blasts firing. Gaster. What the hell? Suddenly, a white blinding light exploded and he winced, his heart pounding. What happened? He quickly ran across the room to the other monitors where he switched on the CORE camaras, and noticed that it was empty. No one was there. The rectangle was there, dangling from the ground and looking as though it could fall in at any moment, electric shorts looking to have been the cause of whatever happened. He put the video on slow motion rewind, but it was only black and static—what happened?

His cell phone began to ring.

"Sans, what happened? Gaster won't pick up. Monsters are running to the castle telling me that there was a white light."

Sans gulped, staring at the monitors. "…i don't know, asgore. gaster fell down and the time machine he was working on looks fried. i told him not to mess with time and space so soon,"

On the other line, Asgore seemed to be hyperventilating. "What if he did it? What if it worked?"

Sans hung up, closing his eyes. It wasn't possible, not now at least. Sans noticed Gaster had chosen the most abandoned part of the Core, which meant he was experimenting, and therefore an untested theory. Anger swelled up inside of him, his hands clenching as he began to run, wanting to be there where it happened. The floor began to change and he panicked, the world around him warping into the core, and then he realized… he was there. What was that?

Without giving it much thought now, he picked up the remains of the time machine, walking as he began to think about home, noticing that nothing happened. Hmm… He activated his blue magic, thinking about home and he realized: it worked. So, was this a new power that Gaster was working on? He had to research this.

After a few hours, Sans was back in the lab, working hard to figure out what happened, when his cell phone rang again. "Hey Sans, its Asgore. Something weird is going on—monsters don't remember the people that disappeared. Everyone has forgotten about them, you remember them right? I know I do."

Sans looked down at the readings from the accident. "i know what happened." On the other line, Asgore perked up, his breathing fast. "What happened?"

Sans grinned sadly, "they don't exist anymore."

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans' eye sockets flung open, staring at Frisk who jumped at the end of the bed while Papyrus attempted to clean Sans' room. "SO LAZY!" he scolded, sweeping the dusty carpet.

"…just a dream…" Sans whispered to himself, his blue eye flashing as he breathed out in relief, looking over to Frisk who jumped down from the bed and pointed at the door. "I wanna make more friends!"

Papyrus chuckled, while Sans looked at Frisk, dread filling him when he remembered Chara. In the dream, Gaster had seen Chara. Was it _really_ her? Skelly dad? Gaster figured he was hallucinating, but why would he hallucinate her? What did he have to do with her?

"hey. let's go make more friends." Sans quietly said, smiling as he got up from bed. He really didn't want to find out any time soon, but he knew that he would have to face the true lab that once was, that once held his deepest fears and frustrations.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Time passed, and as promised, Papyrus threw Frisk a 7th birthday party at their home. Monsters all around Snowdin showed up, including one that Sans hadn't expected.

"alphys, i didn't know we invited you here," asked Sans with his usual grin, taking a bite out of the fries he doused in ketchup. The house was crowded, and Frisk was dancing around and singing with monsters.

"W-well, I've been watching her from the camaras and she seemed nice. Also, I didn't want to stay at the lab today," she responded, sounding very nervous, almost scared. Sans noticed this, but perhaps he shouldn't pry. "alright. so, has undyne asked about pap's behavior? our sentry posts?" asked Sans, watching as Papyrus began to sing with Frisk, loudly and with a lot of enthusiasm.

"Yeah. I told her that Papyrus has a pet now, and I distract her. She'll figure it out soon enough, Sans. I will try my best to keep Frisk a secret, but…"

Sans watched as the dinosaur looked down, her peach colored scales glistening in the light. She seemed to have very low self-esteem it seemed.

"… i've been thinking that maybe its time for frisk to explore beyond snowdin. she won't stop talking about going home to her dad, but papyrus has managed to keep her entertained with the idea of the party. she's determined."

Alphys looked at Frisk, watching as she moved her hands to the beat of the music while Papyrus carried her on his shoulders dancing as he sung as well. "Oh. I'm sorry about Frisk, Sans." Alphys apologized, putting her claw on his shoulder while he looked at her confused. "…what?"

Alphys shook her head. "…don't give up, just because she loves your brother, doesn't mean you can give up,"

Sans didn't know how to respond to that. Was she really still doing on about _that_? "..alphys," began Sans, but her claw on his grin hushed him. "Shh. No need to talk about it."

Sans stared at her with an annoyed expression, but Papyrus caught everyone's attention. "EVERYONE, FRISK AND I HAVE MADE BIRTHDAY SPAGHETTI FOR EVERYONE! LET US EAT!"

Frisk looked at the spaghetti, but instead put it down and went into the kitchen. Everyone seemed surprised, but soon, Frisk came out with a piece of what looked to be a pie, kept fresh by the Snowman's magical snow. "Thanks, mom." she whispered, closing her eyes as smelled the remnants of the smell, reminding her of her mama's ChocoFlan. "Mama…" she whispered, opening her eyes and noticing a small lit candle, lighted by Grillby. In the back, Alphys had begun to sweat, unable to believe she had the courage to run up there and place it, but a human birthday party wasn't complete without the candle.

Frisk looked at everyone her with eyes shimmering with tears, her gentle smile trembling. "Thank you… Gracias…" she whispered, her hands rubbing away the tears that fell while all the monsters aww'ed and tried to comfort her. She looked up, her eyes looking at Papyrus and Sans who looked away. Both them seemed to grinning, each with their own fluster. "Thank you everyone for this wonderful memory," Frisk gently voiced as loud as she could, closing her eyes. " _I wish… to always be with those I love_."

Frisk's gentle wind touched the flame, but it did not blow it out. Grillby stood there, silently looking around as he snapped his finger and the flame disappeared, watching as Frisk beamed and began to eat the leftover pie. "…nice save, grillby." snickered Sans.

The next day…

Frisk woke up in her bed, looking around the room and finding all the nice gifts from different monsters scattered around the room. Ah, what a birthday. She was now 7, and she knew she had to keep going forward. Something about… about… Oh right. Her Papa. As nice as the monsters were, and as much as she loved Sans and Papyrus, she knew she had leave. Maybe she'd break the barrier somehow so that they could all be together! She heard about the barrier, and how all the underground was after a human SOUL. It was scary, but, now… she wasn't as scared. In fact, she was determined. She had to find an alternative, some other way to save them too. She had to find a way out and help her friends too! Maybe Papa would be scared of them at first, but they could all live together, like one big happy family.

As she prepared her satchel, she looked at all the various things she had, and noticed she had plenty of room, although she wondered if she'd see the treasure box again in her travels, she kept a few things in there. Maybe someone would want to trade it for other nice stuff?

She heard from the other monsters that the rest of the underground gets hotter from here, which was why she left her jacket on the closet, although she would miss the soft fur. Before heading out, she looked herself in the mirror and noticed some of her hair reached a bit beneath her shoulders while other parts were still mid neck. Her mama really did cut it uneven, huh? She looked around her room, finding the safety scissors and trying to cut her hair as evenly as she could, looking better than before although once more, it reached her mid neck and she didn't look like much of the girlie girl she used to look like.

Frisk walked downstairs, finding Papyrus and Sans sitting on the couch, both looking up and watching her descend the stairs, a look of worry in their eye sockets. "HUMAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE SNOWDIN," Papyrus stated, although it sounded like he was begging. Sans on the other hand looked down, shaking his head. "no paps, she has to. all we can do is help her along the way, eh?"

Frisk smiled, running to the two skeleton brothers and jumping on the couch, hugging them both as hard as she could. "Don't worry, I'm a big girl now, right? I'll find a way to break the barrier then we can all live together above ground," grinned Frisk as happy tears rolled down, staring at the two brothers who could only stare back. Without any further words, Frisk wiped her tears away, jumping off the couch and going towards the front door, stopping momentarily. "I made mountains of spaghetti while I'm away. Please feel free to eat it,"

When the door closed behind her, Papyrus burst into tears, running to the kitchen, no doubt, to look at the spaghetti in the fridge. Sans had begun to wonder if Frisk had spent enough time here, in Snowdin. All the monsters in the area were her friends, she enjoyed herself and her stay… would this change the timeline? He needed to speak to Florencia once more, but she appeared at the weirdest of times. Perhaps he should investigate the research Gaster left behind. There was an unsettling phone call that Frisk received while exploring the outside of Snowdin. " _Can I speak to G…"_ it said. The phone call came from a series of weird numbers, and his name came out as the caller. It was impossible. Something weird was going on and he knew it had to do with Gaster… Something told him that both Gaster and Florencia were messing with this timeline somehow. Maybe Gaster wasn't doing it directly, but Florencia was.

In the background, Sans could hear Papyrus moaning in delight as he ate the spaghetti, crying because his best friend who cooked spaghetti decided to move on. "paps, i'm going out. i'll be back later."

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy Barks:**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Welp, that happened. It felt like I had been teasing Gaster, so it happened. I dunno maybe it goes against theories or whatnot, but this is my version of what happened-ish. I blended it with my story version. When I started out this chapter, I felt like I needed to explore Sans more, so… that happened.

As for the SansxFrisk ships… well… while I whole heartedly support it (when she's older), _this_ fanfic will not, I repeat, will not ship them. (as I made it clear with alphys trying to ship them) She's barely 7 folks. Keep calm and let her mature. Will this fanfic story _ever_ ship them together? It's a possibility that in the sequels of _one_ of the endings I have planned. Just like the game, I plan to write different three endings: Determination, LOVE, and Love, and if I write their sequels… well… why the heck not. After all, aboveground is literally a _warzone_ in this fanfic. But for now, its brotherly/fatherly love. Alphys just happens go to gaga over ships.

I dunno some people may get lost, but when the white explosion happens, the monsters in the area turned grey and disappeared. I alluded them to the grey NPCs in the game. Boom.

I dunno if there's anything I should go over, so I finish my notes. Again, I dunno if people like this or not since I haven't gotten a review that says otherwise, so I'm just going with what my fingers type at night. Oh and I included links to youtube music for Arial and Gaster. For both, I think it describes them well in a music sense, plus, I think that Arial would be an inspiration for both Paps and Sans. This is usually what I listen to when I type all this, and it feels like the perfect ambiance for reading and the scenes in it.

-PvW


	6. Relentless Prodigy

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Updated 5.20.2016 for errors.

******* **Chara backstory has some heavy baggage, definitely rated M. I'm talking about some serious f'd stuff. You're warned.**

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter 6: Relentless Prodigy**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Once outside the house, Frisk took the snow tunnels back to the inn, picking up and putting down a few items. She put on the red ribbon she had found back in the RUINS, hoping it would help distinguish her as girl, wrapping it around her head and into a neat bow on top. She noticed the toy knife, and felt a sudden urge to keep it in her satchel, but she fought the urge and put it down in the treasure box. Taking the snow tunnels once more, she went back to the outskirts of Snowdin that lead to the marsh, a fog looming over the land that sent chills down her spine. This much fog reminded her smoke for some strange reason. A lot of smoke, and the smell of… of burning.

Chara walked beside the girl, grinning when she realized her will was getting weaker. This fog, however… this fog also gave her nostalgia. Ah… that's right. Her old life, the life she threw away and wanted to destroy, before wanting to destroy the one she made underground. But no need to remember now, not when Frisk was slowly breaking now.

"Hey girlie, are you okay?" asked Chara, managing to manifest her body's appearance in the fog which seemed to strengthen her. The little girl looked at her, tears falling as she shook her head. "M-my house… There's… so much… smoke…"

Chara smiled, watching as Frisk slowly began to collapse and began to choke as though the fog around her was said smoke. "There, there, little girl. Just fall asleep… everything will be alright."

Frisk's eyes watched at the fog began to get darker, and red open flames began to appear, the world around her shifting into what used to be her old home.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Frisk**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Florencia looked outside the windows, watching as men dressed in black tried to put out the fires in the surrounding trees while others fought off the flames that attempted to reach the mansion. Turning back inside, she looked at the little girl laying on the long sofa, the head resting on top of her step mother's legs while the old woman caressed the child's hair. "Ella no se puede ir. Ella es la heredera, Florencia." (She cannot leave us. She's the heir, Florencia.)

The distraught woman turned to the elderly woman, her eyebrows knit together and her arms crossed. "Ellos mataron a Julian, a mi hijo, que mas quiere que matan antes de que me vaya?" (They have killed Julian, my son, what else do you want them to kill before I leave?)

The elder smiled, laughing coldly as she waved off Florencia's comeback. "Yo perdi a varios hijos, pero Pablo fue el mas fuerte. Tengan mas chamacos, no hay nada que temer. Esta casa, estos terrenos, el dinero… todo vienen con un precio, y mi nieta se queda porque se queda!" (I lost several children, but Pablo was the strongest. Have more kids, there's nothing to fear. This house, the lands, the money… everything comes with a price and my granddaughter stays here because _she stays here_!)

Florencia bit her lip, shaking her head but once she began to get closer to the woman and her daughter, the two guards standing at the door grabbed her. "N-no! No puedes aser esto, Marcela!" (N-no! You can't do this, Marcela!) shouted Florencia, struggling against the two men who dragged her out of the room, leaving the grandmother, Flor, and a teenage boy who laid in bed.

Marcela's head moved towards the bed, looking at the young man who looked as though he were sleeping soundly, his face recovering from the severe punishment he endured at the hands of the rival gang. "Todo tiene un precio, y yo lo pago todo los dias. Ay, Florecita… Un dia sabras so que significa ser un Gomez. Es respeto, prestigio, y una vida de lujo. Tu Tio Julian lo sabia muy bien, pero aun asi el decidio ser la mano derecha de tu papa, y porque? Porque el mundo hoy en dia es dinero y poder. Tu hermano Fernando sabia lo que era ser un Gomez, el acepto la responsabilidad y estaba siguiendo los pasos de tu papa, pero… pero _tu_ tenias que inteferir, nina insolente. Ahora, todo esto esta pasando porque tu todavia no sabes como el mundo alrederor de ti trabaja, pero yo te ensenare." (Everything has a price, and I am paying it every day. Oh, little flower… One day, you'll know the significance of being a Gomez. It's respect, prestige, and a life of luxury. Your Uncle Julian knew it very well, but even then he chose to be your father's right hand and why? Because the world today is money and power. Your brother, Fernando, knew what it was to be a Gomez, he accepted the responsibility and was following in your father's footsteps but… but _you_ had to interfere, insolent girl. Now, everything is happening because you still don't know how the world around you works, but I'll teach you.)

Outside, Florencia paced the halls, her long flowing hair moving to her frustration. They couldn't keep her daughter, it was _her child_! She never wanted this life, this… lifestyle. She wanted a simple home, a simple life being the dance teacher that she was. She wanted her son to grow up to be just like her father, a man of simple pleasures, who stayed true to his values and beliefs. Instead… instead her son was dead and that corpse inside the room was nothing but an empty shell of what used to be her son. Her father had been right, it was a mistake when she met Pablo so long ago. He warned her, he told her it would end this way eventually, and after so many years of living somewhat peacefully, her husband's sins were coming back with a vengeance.

She sighed, closing her eyes and realizing the only way she could escape all of this was to leave the man she loved with all her heart. She cursed the day she met Pablo, wishing she had fallen in love with anyone else other than him.

Inside the room, Marcela got up, using her cane to walk over to the window and watch as the trees sizzled, the remnants of the cars and the truck still glowing from the explosions. Well, at least Julian understood that Flor was to be the next heir to the Gomez line. Although Marcela had wished it to be a boy, she had to do with what she had, after all, her grandson was a vegetable. It just meant that Flor was going to have to cling to her from now on, and she was going to need to send Florencia away. As heir to the family, Flor was going to need to ditch those dancing classes and learn to negotiate, hold a gun, learn to properly blackmail, etc. Yes… Marcela could already see the curriculum in store for the little girl, after all, she did well in teaching Fernando.

A black limousine pulled up, a tall bearded man jumping out of the limo and shouting, his shades thrown as he saw the damages around the property. "Ah, m'hijo. Tenemos que hablar de Flor…" (Ah my son. We need to talk about Flor…) whispered the elderly woman to herself, walking out of the dark room with the help of the two body guards, closing the door behind her and leaving the two children alone, one of them awake and staring at the floor. "Tio…" she whispered, grasping her head.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Chara opened her eyes, the fog enveloping her as she began to sit up, the ground beneath her giving her a chill, but it _felt lovely_. She was finally controlling the body. As she tried to get up, her knees buckled and her ankles gave out, falling down once more. "Damn… I thought I gathered enough energy…" Chara whispered to herself, trying to push the body up once more but failing. "Why isn't it working?!" she shouted, jerking the body forward, but once more falling down, the fog getting heavier. Chara smirked, laughing to herself as she remembered the fog that haunted both her and her enemies up on the surface. Yes. The legendary fog assassin, the ninja who would come into the night and slaughter entire families in the dead of night. Her old life of being a ninja apprentice, of being a cold blooded murderer resurfaced with the pearly brume.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback: Chara**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The cold October night was perfect for her training. She had been watching them closely—a family of pigs just waiting to be slaughtered. The light of the moon shined, but it could not pierce the thick fog that enveloped the precinct tonight, just like Chara liked it. She looked at her pouch, counting the kunais and the throwing stars before closing the pouch. The long piece of cloth that wrapped around her hands felt firm, good enough to strangle somebody in case her footsteps were a tad too loud. Why she enjoyed doing this, she wondered. Perhaps she enjoyed the infamy, the rumors among her family members of a ninja who rivaled them. Little did they know, that ninja was none of other than their plain child, Chara. The child that they scolded, that they screamed at, the one who would one day be married off to the highest bidder. The child they thought was a rag doll, _a weak willed girl_.

This showed them. This showed everyone. Everyone that picked on her because she was a girl who liked fighting. Everyone that picked on her because of her mother. Everyone that picked on her because she wasn't social. Everyone that picked at her every little detail. **Everyone**.

Chara walked silently around the house, spotting Yuki's father in the outside bathhouse. Perfect. This was the fifth time she went hunting, but now her main prey was sitting there. That man deserved to die. Up to this point, everyone else that she had killed were minor threats, and they all accumulated to this one kill. This. one. pig.

Chara licked her lips, deciding to be bold and show herself, walking into the light as she loosened her robe, her red eyes gleaming with desire to kill. "M-mr. Yakinoba…" she whispered seductively, fluttering her eyes as she looked at the older naked man who turned to look at her, his sick perversion apparent in his expression. "So you finally come to me, Chara. Come… sit on my lap, I'll-" he began, his arms outstretched as he sat down in front of the bathing water. Chara smiled, her hand going inside her robe and taking out a dagger, her eyes flashing with that desire of vengeance. Before the older man could react, Chara lunged at him as quietly as she could, throwing them both into the water as she dug her dagger into his throat as to silence him, stabbing over and over again as fast and as hard as she could, trying to contain her glee. Everything turned red, and she breathed deeply, standing in the water while all his blood pooled around them, mixing with the water. "Finally…" Chara whispered, chuckling to herself as she wiped away the tears with her bloody hands, looking at the corpse and using her dagger to disfigure him, cutting his face until he looked like a cut up doll, her smile returning. "It's okay Mr. Yakinoba… the rest of your family gets to go with you too," she giggled, getting out of the water and exiting the bath house from the window she climbed, noticing that Mrs. Yakinoba was headed to the bathhouse. Well. She couldn't see the mess she made just yet, right?

Chara flanked the woman, her footsteps in the grass gentle, but the older woman seemed to be spooked. "Who's there?" she asked, holding up her lantern. Chara bit her lip, opening her pouch and taking out a throwing star, watching as the woman began to walk once more. "Here we go…" Chara whispered to herself, breathing in deeply as she aimed and threw the star with all her strength, aiming at the back of the woman's neck. Grasping her dagger, Chara made a run for her, trying to be as silent as she could, watching as the woman turned around and held up her latern, her eyes bulging out as the star dug into her throat and the blood began to shoot forcefully out of her. Before she could scream, Chara silenced her, her free arm grasping her head and covering her mouth while her dagger slit her throat, watching her as she stared back at her with horror in her eyes, her eyes slowly closing. "I'm just like my mother, a _lying whore_ , right?" Chara whispered into her ear, her dagger digging further into the throat until her body went limp.

Two pigs down.

Chara left the body on the ground, taking back her throwing star and walking towards the house, where the remaining two were at. Yuki and Yuki's older brother. Chara looked at the house from outside, noticing the brother's shadow in his room, no doubt still awake. She looked at the house's roof, and the tall borders around it, jumping unto the gates and then unto the roof, trying not to make too much noise as she did. From the roof, she clung unto it as she took a peek inside, noticing that the brother was just as perverted as his father. A pig in the making. Well, let's fix that, right?

Chara's body jumped down to the balcony outside of the brother's room, watching as his back was turned to her, moaning to himself. Men. Chara noticed the window was unlocked, no doubt because of the weather lately, and thus she opened it slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself. Slipping inside, she slid down the window and unto the floor, the strong cloth around her right wrist ready. Walking as close as she could, she readied herself, her arms swooping forward as the teen began to turn back from the intense feeling of being watched. Surprised to see Chara there drenched in blood, he opened his mouth but soon found that there was something pulling his throat, her arms pulling back as hard as she could while her right foot pushed his back. The teenager fought back, pushing his back unto her and stopping her momentarily. Just as he began to shout, chara dug her dagger unto his mouth, an evil grin appearing on her face as she continued to thrust the dagger further back before taking it back and thrusting it inside his left eye. Everything happened so fast… Chara couldn't believe she couldn't enjoy her kill, but at least it was over. One more.

Yuki, a 'friend' of Chara's slept in her bed peacefully. Chara almost felt sorry for the girl, her long and beautiful hair braided into a long pony tail. Chara's eyes shifted to her own shoulders where the ends of her now short hair met, anger once more boiling the blood inside her. "I'm just a liar, right? I'm a freak who doesn't deserve long hair like you, right?!" shouted Chara, her eyes widening as she saw the girl wake up with a start, those beady green eyes filling with terror as she saw her playmate drenched in blood with that maniacal grin of hers. "Y-you're the killer! You killed everyone! P-please don't kill me, I'm your best friend Yuki-chan," pleaded the girl, backing against the wall and covering her chest with her bed covers. "My best friend Yuki-chan…" whispered Chara in a friendly voice, her dagger pressed against against her cheek, slowly descending unto her throat. The sharp tip caressed her skin, in such a way that it gave Chara goosebumps and a sudden rush of joy, watching the girl stare at her confused. "W-why Chara? Why did you do it? You killed R-r-rae…"

Chara calmly shrugged, sitting down on the bed and watching as the girl trembled in fear, backing into the corner of the bed. "Well Yuki-chan… I had enough. I had enough of everyone talking behind my back, of being treated like I'm some kind of disease. Who my mother was doesn't matter now, she's dead, right? She used to be an insanely good assassin, just like the rest of my family, so why does it matter if she betrayed a few lords, she's dead."

The girl looked down at the floor of her room, the drops of blood smeared all over where she stepped. "…you didn't have to kill anyone… Did you… my…"

Chara turned to the girl who looked pale, smiling as she nodded with glee. "Mr. Yakinoba died like the pig he was, Yuki-chan. Slaughtered and left to bleed out, but you know, even pigs deserve a more honorable death than him,"

The girl stared at her, tears falling down as she shook her head, unable to produce any words. Chara's face softened, her empty bloody hand touching the girl's tender cheek and watching as she shuddered, looking away in repulsion. "I had the same look that day, Yuki-chan. Remember?" Chara asked softly, watching as her eyes widened and her head snapped towards her. "My dad would never!" she shouted, swatting away the hand and curling into a ball by which her arms held tight unto her knees.

Chara closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Even you didn't believe me, you bloody hypocrite." she whispered, looking back to that day. _"Yuki, I'm not lying! Your dad really did-" began Chara, but Yuki slapped her instead. "Stop lying, Chara!"_

Yuki turned to Chara, her hands balled up into fists. "Everyone was right. You're a freak. Out of everyone in the precinct, you and your sister are freaks! Not even the Takishka clan comes close to the level of freakshow you two are!" shouted the girl, tears pouring out of her eyes.

Chara smiled, turning to Yuki as she licked the bloody dagger, watching as the girl squirmed at the sight. A low laugh erupted from Chara, her shoulders relaxing as she pointed the dagger at the girl. "The Takishka clan will never come close to my mother's level of expertise in the art of killing. Do you know what they whisper when they think I don't hear them? Chara and Tara are child prodigies, just like Lara, their mother. Chara and Tara will be unstoppable if we let them. Chara and Tara must be broken so that we can control them. Chara and Tara…" Chara leaned forward, watching the girl lean back, away as much as she could. "…are relentless." she whispered, her red eyes gleaming with excitement as her free arm reached for the girl's throat.

From the rooftop, a tall shadow loomed over the household, listening closely for the muffled screams coming from inside. "Chara, this one was messy…" she hissed, jumping off the rooftop and making her way to the Takishka abode.

From inside the house, Chara walked calmly, giggling as she dug her dagger into the wall, "One little piggie died in the slaughter, second little piggie got really startled, third little piggie choked much harder and the fourth went screaming mer-cy~," she sung, opening the front door and leaving it opened as she skipped away into the night, going towards the woods where the river was. The fog was her ally, her shroud that gave her the strength to go on these cleansing expeditions, but she knew that this would have to be the last one. Any more and the Takishka clan might be unto her… she needed to remain anonymous. Her sixth and final slaughter would have to the the Takishka clan itself, but they… well, she would need to be much older and with more experience before she could take at least one of them on, much less the entire clan.

There, by the river was her bag of clean clothes, waiting patiently like her old dog. Ah, Fufu… that street dog gave her more love than any of the people in the precinct ever gave her. Maybe if Rae's father didn't _kill_ dog, they'd all still be alive. Fufu had definitely been the last straw.

The river was cold, but Chara entered nonetheless, dunking her head into the water and trying to rinse away the proof of her adventurous tonight, removing her long black robe and noticing the ugly scars along her body left behind by the Takishkas. That wretched family of hers. She looked at the careful sewing job Tara did on her latest cut, smiling as she continued to rinse out the blood in her hair.

Walking at night with this heavy fog would confuse anyone, but Chara had learned to memorize the paths, the streets, and the walls of each home. All her adventures in the fog—they had been planned for months. The death of Mr. Yakisoba had been planned ever since he laid his grimy hands on her, but the deaths of his family of pigs was planned out recently, when they all called her a lying whore. And her brother… that nice seeming guy turned out to be just the same pig as his father. Tch. Trying to a lay a hand on her… well, now he couldn't.

Chara opened the door to her room, her eyes widening as she found Tara sitting calmly on the floor, smiling as she drank tea. "Little sister… I knew you were up to something on a night as fine as this one."

Her older sister smiled, her red eyes shining with pride as her smile became soft, patting the ground. "Come, sit. I know of your recent… missions. I just want you to know, I'm very proud of you,"

Chara looked at Tara with surprised eyes, sitting down as she blushed, bowing her head. "I did it for us, Tara. He… he told me." she whispered, looking up and noticing the warm appearance in the eyes of her sister. "Ah, so that spurred you into action I see. There's no need to worry about me, Chara… after growing up around these… these _pigs_ , I've learned to contain it. Now, I did scout the area while you cleansed them of their filth, and I must say, I was disappointed to see that you got messy on the first, third and fourth kill. I understand the first and third, but… Yuki?"

Chara looked down, frowning. "She used to be my friend… I… Tara, do you have any friends?" she asked, looking at the surprised teenager. "Chara… no, I do not. I overheard her… we're a freakshow, huh?"

Smiling sadly, Chara, looked at her bed, tired from today's killing spree, getting up and laying down, watching as Tara picked up a golden flower from the flower vase. "Buttercup flowers are beautiful right? Mother loved these flowers and she would compare herself to them, do you know why?" asked Tara, laying the flower on her sister's ear, its golden petals adorning the girl who smiled confused. "No, why?"

Tara grinned, patting her head. "These beautiful yellow flowers… they're deadly when eaten by people, or grinded into a powder. She would coat her daggers in honey and buttercups, and even when the honey dried or was smeared away, the powder would remain, and she would kill anyone she would scrape. I've been experimenting with buttercups lately, waiting for the perfect day I could just… make the perfect blend. I wanted us to run away so many times before but… but everyone recognizes us. Of course, who wouldn't, with our nice foreign skin and features? Let's fight out way out of here, Chara. Take your training more seriously, and then when we're ready, we'll leave a trail of dead pigs,"

Chara smiled, nodding as she closed her eyes.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Chara pushed with all her might against the ground, but instead, the body collapsed, as though tired. She didn't understand. "MOVE!" she shouted, but instead she laid on the ground, looking into the never ending fog. She didn't understand. Every time she would take over the body, she would be able to control it with ease, why was it suddenly shutting down? Unless… Unless Frisk somehow managed to keep control of the body, but how…? Removing herself from the body, Chara watched as Frisk's body twitched, coughing choking on invisible fumes, tears rolling down as she slept. Tch.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback-Frisk continued**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Flor got up, her head throbbing in paid as he tried to walk towards the bed, falling down but getting up anyways. There, she saw her brother, Fernando, sleeping as he usually did now. "Fernando… es sierto?" (Fernando… is it true?) asked Flor, her small warm hand grasping his which was cold to the touch. She would come and sing to him every now and then, remembering how much he liked to hear her sing and hoped he would wake up, but now…

Her grandmother said it was her fault. That everything was her fault. What did she do? Flor winced, her head hurting as she remembered the night Fernando got hurt. It was… She got out of the car. He was standing with the men in black, talking to someone in white fancy clothes. It had been after one of the waltzing rehearsals at night, and it had been a long time, so she went to check up on him, and as soon she found him, she ran to him. Something was going on, people were holding guns and pointing them at each other…

There was gunfire, a lot of screaming… and then black. She fell asleep. Everyone told her that it was a bad dream, and that Fernando didn't wake up because el cuy-cuy got him while he slept.

Flor wiped away her tears, climbing into bed with her brother. She noticed her uncle's present there, on the night stand and she took it, holding it tightly against her body as she curled up next to her brother like old times.

Downstairs, Marcela sat calmly in her favorite chair while Florencia continued to shout about her daughter being held against her wishes. To her side, her son Pablo, sat also calm although his eyebrows gave away the worry in him. "Entiendo Florencia, pero tu cres que te voy a dejar ir tan facilmente?" (I understand, Florencia, but do you think I'm going to let you leave so easily?) asked Pablo, his fingertips caressing his lips and the trimmed beard, looking to his side where his mother smiled contently, waving the bodyguards away who then took Florencia out of the room. "Ay, pero que escandalosa, Pablo. Quedate con la nina y deja esa vieja," (Ay, she's so dramatic, Pablo. Keep the girl and leave that woman) complained Marcela, noticing the way her son looked taken aback, shaking his head feverishly as he sighed. "No mama… yo amo a esa mujer. Dame tiempo para pensar en que aser…" (No mother… I love that woman. Give me time to think about what to do…) replied Pablo, grabbing the glass of tequila that he had put on the end table and drinking it whole, feeling his headache intensify. His brother in law was dead. His son was dead. His left hand was also dead, died a few hours back. No doubt, his competitor was finally getting aggressive after years of threatening them to stay down. The worst part wasn't that they knew where he lived, but rather, it was that they knew about Flor and Fernando. With his only son practically dead, Flor and Florencia were the ones in most danger now. They were his one and only vulnerability. If things were bad enough now… well, they just got worse.

From outside, shouts and screams were heard, and the mansion began tremble, the sounds of explosions outside the home and the smell of burning wood descending downstairs. "Me lleva el diablo!" (literally means the devil's taking me, figuratively speaking, an expression used to show frustration, almost like cursing) Shouted Pablo, getting up from his chair and running upwards, when another explosion sent him flying back downstairs, bits of wood covering his face.

Upstairs, the door to Fernando's room was kicked down by two men dressed in black and Florencia followed behind, running to the bed and picking up Flor. Another explosion further down the hall sounded off, and from outside, a brick was thrown inside through the window, a computer like thing attached to it. Oh no. Florencia ran past the two men, clinging to Flor as she ran towards the end of the hall hearing several explosions and fires engulfing the rooms that were next to outside. The floor beneath her trembled, and soon enough it fell and they both landed in the vast kitchen, open flames engulfing the house. "Florencia!" bellowed Pablo, no doubt searching for her and her daughter. She had to end it. With every ounce of determination in her, she opened the kitchen door that lead to the backyard garden, noticing it seemed serene while from behind flames ate whatever was left of the old home. As she ran through the gardens, she noticed several men dressed in all black and wearing ski masks up front, a few beginning to go to the back. Thank goodness today she was wearing her running shoes. She could hear the gun shots behind her, and she could her adrenaline pumping as she ran through the burning acres, trees falling down and blocking her path several times, but proving to be beneficial in the long run. She wondered what happened to Pablo… she wondered what happened to everyone for that matter. She knew she couldn't run forever, not while holding to the girl. She was getting tired. She looked to her surroundings, realizing that their animal farm wasn't far off. She looked behind her, noticing two black figures far off into the distance, and she realized she had to act now. She breathed in, running as fast as she could to the animal pens, realizing that there were several cars there—jackpot. Sweat ran down her body, her arms aching but she managed to reach the cars, opting for the truck with which had almost a full tank. It was locked, of course. She looked at the farmhouse and she ran to it, noticing it too was locked. She put down Flor, knowing that the farm helpers would always leave the keys to the trucks in here, after all, the trucks weren't theirs. She steeled herself as she stared at the glass window pane on the door, punching it down with her arm and holding in her pain as she unlocked the door, going inside. Flor had watched _everything_. Her head continued to hurt a lot, and her coughing had slowed down, but the distant air of smoke still plagued her lungs and it burned her throat. She looked down at the present she clung to, her fingers locked into a deathgrip as she breathed in the somewhat fresh air as much as she could before coughing once more. Before she knew what was happening, her mother picked her up once more and put her on the seat, her bloody hand trembling as she fastened the seat belt and started the car, pressing down the gas petal as hard as she could. Flor looked out the window, her vision going hazy as she watched the dark clouds and smoke in the distance. "Todo va a estar bien, Florecita. Nos iremos de aqui, y nos vamos los mas lejos donde no nos van a encontrar….Flor? Flor!" (everything will be okay, little flower. We'll leave and we'll go far away where they wont find us…) Florencia panicked, noticing that her daughter had gone limp, shaking her with her free hand.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Chara watched as the twitching began to stop and the breathing began to normalize, watching the tall skeleton lean over her examining her as he began to shake her. "HUMAN! YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DREAM AGAIN!" He shouted, watching as Frisks' eyes shot open, cold sweat running down her forehead. "P-papyrus? Papyrus, it was my fault!" cried Frisk, grasping the skeleton into a tight embrace as she let herself be carried. To the side, Chara rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. Boo-hoo. As if that kid knew what real pain was like; she watched the tall skeleton walk off, towards the marsh with the human in his arms, staring at her as she poured her heart out at the skeleton who probably didn't even understand half of what she told him. Chara began to float towards them, when golden petals caught her attention.

"Very clever, demon, but not clever enough." spoke Flowey, with that stupid grin on his face. Chara, who was back into her black misty form decided to entertain the flower, floating beside it as she replied, "Well at least I'm taking a more proactive approach, Asriel."

The flower's grin disappeared, a more demonic grin appearing. "M..Y.. N..A..M..E.. I..S.. F..L..O..W..E..Y." Chara began to circle the flower, noticing the way it continued to make eye contact with the red dots for eyes that appeared on the mist. "Well _Flowey_ , unlike you I'm actually doing something, and I actually plan to _end_ it."

The flower laughed that demonic laugh of his. "You're just as bored as I am… here I thought you wanted to be friends. You're just going to laugh and throw me away like some broken toy."

Chara winced, the black mist falling down before rising once more.

Some. broken. toy.

" _Just sew me up again…"_

Chara could feel the memories flood back to her, the fog somehow intensifying the memories of it all. "Shut… UP!" screamed the floating mist, retreating back before more memories could flood her.

The flower continued to laugh, watching as the black mist began to form into a human appearance, falling on the ground as her hands grasped the earth beneath her, her porcelain skin beginning to crack and her left eye crumbling down and showing the empty darkness, that black miasma pouring out as a red sphere floated in what was once her eye. Her right hand grasped the golden heart locket grinding her teeth as she stared at the blasted flower, noticing the scars on her hands turn into cracks.

" _Just sew it up again, Tara."_

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Chara continued**

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A day had passed. Chara screamed into the rag inside her mouth, biting down as hard as she could while Tara skillfully began to sew up today's injury. "They're unto you." Tara whispered, her eyebrows knit together as she tightened the cut that spanned the entirety of the girl's back. "I overheard them talking about Mr. Yakinoba and Yuki. The evidence shows passion, and they think it's you."

Chara huffed with anger, tears streaming down as the needle pierced through her tender skin her hands trembling with both fury and fright. They knew. That cut was supposed to a deathblow, but Tara…

Tara smiled, chuckling softly as she poured sake down the back and watched the small girl straighten out and cry muffled screams. "There, there, little girl… it's going to be alright. Your big sis will take care of them now… I'm almost done perfecting my buttercup recipe. Once I figure it out… we can bust out of here and kill anyone with a single cut. Snake venom… buttercups… honey… they all work together, but it's not fast enough to disable the Takishkas. I need something that will paralyze them, otherwise we're dead."

Chara's body trembled, her back aching. None of the prior injuries had hurt this bad, and Tara would always be fast but this time it was taking forever and she was only halfway done, not to mention that the bone of her spine burned and her movements had slowed down. She looked down at the rest of her fair skin, plagued with various scars sewn up by Tara. "You're like a raggedy doll," chucked Tara, continuing to sew. "One hell of beat up doll, but it's okay. I'll sew the tears for as long as I can."

When Tara was done, Chara fell unto her bed stomach first, whimpering from the pain. "Just fall asleep… everything will be alright." Tara whispered, kissing the back of Chara's head as she blew off the candle, sleeping on the floor for fear the Takishkas would come into the night and kill her.

Chara opened her eyes, staring at Tara who stood in front of her and facing their father. "You will not question her. After trying to kill her earlier today, you think I'm going to let you _question_ her?" she argued, her eyes full of fury. The man of slanted eyes and black robe retaliated: "And how do you want me to react! Did you know that she's the prime suspect in the fog cases?"

Chara stared at that man, realizing she had been caught. The joy of finally killing Mr. Yakinoba got the better of her…

"A child? Do you really expect _a child_ to kill entire families in the dead of night? Have you found any evidence traced back to her? I look after her at night, and she rests from all the abuse _you_ give her." Tara spoke through her teeth, attempting to contain her anger.

The man of slanted eyes stared at her, his hand stroking his shaven chin. "You're right. It seems we were mistaken… _you're_ the most proficient one."

Chara's eyes widened, gulping as she watched her sister laugh. "You. can't _. prove_. it."

The man left the room silently, slamming the door as he did. He was going to talk to the elder Takishkas, no doubt, and together they would deliberate on what to do. "T-tara…" Chara whispered, getting up from the bed and wincing from the pain, feeling a few beads of blood rolling down her back as she did. The tall girl turned, smiling. "Hey, you're up. We need to cauterize that nasty injury, are you ready? You've only been asleep for about an hour, and my dagger looks ready."

Chara's eyes widened, looking down as she nodded.

The pain from an hour ago couldn't compare to the pain now it seemed. Her hands gripped the pillow as she screamed into the rag, biting it down once more feeling the hot blade pressed against her skin. Tara removed the blade momentarily, giving Chara enough time to gather herself before it was once more pressed against her skin. The feeling of her skin being burned felt overwhelming, her skin feeling the twine Tara used to sew it all together. "We're leaving tonight. No doubt they're going to kill one of us as punishment and example, but if it happens and it's me… don't you _dare_ break down. I may not be there to sew you up, but you're the raggedy doll that's going to cleanse this world of its impurities, you hear?"

Chara nodded as she bit into the balled rag in her mouth, feeling like she was going to pass out.

"TARA!" shouted that vile as he slammed the door open, Chara gasped when she saw him carrying the whip. Tara grasped the heated knife getting up and throwing herself at the man, intending to kill him but he skillfully whipped her arm into submission, using his leg to kick her down as he untangled the whip and began to throw it down with all his force, hearing the sounds of flesh and leather crack. Chara tried to get up, but instead he sent the whip her way and unto her damaged back, crying in pain as she stayed down, watching Tara who tried her hardest to fight back while protecting Chara from further damage. Instead, Tara was receiving the full brunt of the attack, and her beautiful skin was full of blood and gashes. During the relentless whippings, that leathery rope caught on fire from the open flame Tara had left aside, used to heat up her dagger. Chara cried out every time that whip hit her back, feeling the burns, but eventually it began to slow down… until it stopped, and that man breathed heavily while her sister Tara trembled from the pain. One last whip hit Tara, but suddenly, she grabbed unto the whip, pulling the man to her as she dug the dagger into him. She laughed, and Chara smiled; it was over.

It was far from over. Chara's smile disappeared as the man pulled away, his right hand pulling out his ninjatō and thrusting it into Tara whose grin disappeared. Chara panicked, using all her sheer willpower to get up grab Tara's dagger, slicing his throat and jumping back when he attempted to stab her with his sword. "Chara… drawers… use the green sweater… and brown farmer pants… take… dagger and run…" breathed out Tara, her hand grasping the open wound, coughing up blood as she stared at the bewildered girl and the man who had gone limp. "…don't… trust… betrayal…" whimpered Tara before she fell over with her large red eyes open, the light dimming from them.

Chara trembled. The Takishkas. It was the dead of the night, it was perfect. Their rooms were separated from the main household, which meant no one would know about him or Tara until the break of dawn. She needed to move, but the pain in her back slowed her down. She gently moved Tara, opening the bottom drawers and finding the ugly brown pants the peasant boys would use while farming. Beside it was that ugly green sweater Tara had knitted herself. " _This shade of green fits us_ ," she would say. The harsh environment of the mountains was what Tara would always blab about. That was it. The mountains. The sweater. The pants. It started to make sense.

Chara put the sweater over her head, holding in the pain as she put it on, as well as the pants. She looked down on the top of the drawers, seeing those golden flowers. Without thinking twice, she took them and the dagger, trying her hardest to blend into the night.

She followed the river upstream, stumbling quite often with that aching pain in her back, but she was going to do it. The river's water rushed down, a small fog enveloping her as she continued to make her way up the mountain. It was a long trek, but she was going to do it. She was going to live, and she was going to kill them _all._

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

That blasted flower had finally disappeared into the earth, the fog beginning to clear up. In the distance, Papyrus walked with a now calmed down Frisk, her brown eyes looking up to that skeleton who would on occasion look down unto her with an orange blush. "HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WORRY ABOUT YOU. PLATONICALLY SPEAKING OF COURSE."

Frisk smiled with her dried up tears, burring her head into his skelly torso. "Thank you Papyrus… You and Sans mean the world to me. I don't even know if my Papa is still alive…" she whispered, noticing the way Papyrus seemed to frown with his eye sockets seeming as though he fully understood. "DON'T GIVE UP, HUMAN. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY FROM NOW ON. IT'S WHAT MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE DONE, I'M SURE."

Frisk stared at Papyrus, noticing a cavern entrance up ahead through her peripheral vision. "Your mom?" asked Frisk, realizing that she really didn't know anything about him or Sans. Papyrus nodded with pride. "THE AMAZING ARIAL! SHE USED TO BE THE UNDERGROUND'S CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD _AND_ IDOL. SHE COULD SING, DANCE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHE COULD DO MAGIC TRICKS. ONE OF MY FAVORITE MAGIC TRICKS WAS TURNING BONES INTO ANY SHAPE. SHE WAS REALLY COOL WITH HER ONE-OF-A-KIND SKELLY-ARMOR."

Frisk perked up, realizing that she really did in fact sound amazing… but she had never heard of her up until now. "W-what happened to Arial?" asked Frisk, noticing the fog disappearing as they entered the cave. Papyrus came to stop, looking away silently. Ah. Before Frisk could say anything else about the matter, or change it, Papyrus spoke up. "THE AMAZING ARIAL PULLED OFF THE MAGIC TRICK OF THE MILLENNIUM. SHE DISAPPEARED. NO ONE LIKES TALKING ABOUT HER THOUGH, SO IT'S BEST YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT HER. IT'S OUR SECRET."

Well, that was one way of putting it. Frisk nodded, her feet touching the ground as her small hands gripped unto the skeleton's. She looked up, noticing his surprise and she smiled. "Let's go, big bro." she gently whispered, noticing the way he seemed excited and proud. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE BEST BIG BRO THERE HAS EVER BEEN."

" _I will be the best big bro, I swear_!" Frisk smiled, nodding as she took a step forward. Fernando was so silly sometimes.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The more time Sans spend at the lab, the more he seemed to remember his old life, pre-time screwed of course. Alphys seemed more and more comfortable around him, and together they would sort through the old files.

At the moment, Sans focused on all the old files, noticing that his father seemed to write in that cursed sign language even before they had 'come up' with it.

Alphys looked over Sans' shoulder, looking at the weird symbols. "I don't know what all that means. I threw out a bunch of those papers-"

Sans turned around, his hands grasping her shoulders. "you what?!"

Alphys was surprised by his outburst, fear once more settling in. "I-i-i-I threw out a b-b-bunch of those w-w-w-weird p-p-papers. B-b-burned them actually. There was mountains of it, I just…"

Sans let go, closing his eye sockets. Gatdamn. "…it's… it's fine. sorry. look, i need whatever papers you can find that resemble this. i can read what it says, and it's very important, okay?"

Alphys nodded, backing away into another pile of papers, looking quite spooked. Ah, damn. If only she knew how important those papers were… ah well. There had to be other records, anything, that could help him. Why was Chara possessing Frisk? How was she doing it? But most importantly, the puzzle he wanted to solve the most was how Florencia played into this, and… Gaster, if he was still… whatever he was. She mentioned his name, and no one could know him, not now at least. Only Asgore and he could fully remember Gaster, all the others only knew him by name because Asgore decided it'd be prudent to keep his name floating around.

Sans sighed, putting his head down. "Hey Sans, I'm gonna go upstairs and eat something Do you want me to bring you something?" asked Alphys, already making her way out of the archives. Sans could only wave her off, hearing the door close behind her. What was he going to do?

A bright light began to form behind him, that woman suspended by white wings. "Don't give up Sans. Frisk is counting you… I'm counting on you… Gaster is counting on you."

Sans turned around, surprised to find that woman there again, with that angelic look on her. "gaster?! what… no, no. i wanna _what_ you are. how did you manifest, and what does Chara have to do with any of this."

Florencia could see the frustration in the skeleton's expression, her hand gently placed on his cheekbone and watching him fluster up, staring at the hand with that adorable look of surprise. "My name is Florencia Castillo Gomez, and I was simply a mother looking after her daughter at first, but then you breathed life into me. Your determination, and magic combined… it helped me shatter through the spirit realm and manifest as what you see."

Sans breathed out, shuddering as he felt that familiar warmth, her hand somehow bringing him memories of how his mother would sometimes kiss his cheekbone before leaving for school. This was impossible. "…i don't understand…" Sans whispered back, looking into the woman's brown eyes and realizing that her bright glow… at the very core, it seemed white, but the entirety of her glow was actually blue, a bright blue, almost aqua or cyan. In fact, her glow felt awfully like…

Sans stared at her silent. She stared back smiling softly, nodding as he mumbled, "…the gaster blasters…"

The woman took her hand back, her form beginning to glitch once more. "n-no, wait i have so many questions!" Sans blurted out, unable to contain himself. "I must rest before I can appear again. Sans… Gaster and Momster love you."

Sans' eye sockets enlarged, his hand out towards the light that disappeared, his chest rising and falling as he stared into the empty space before him. Momster. How did she know that? Gaster would never refer to Arial as Momster, Papyrus' dislike for puns came from him.

When Alphys stepped back into the room, she noticed that Sans seemed to sniffling. Before she could even ask what was going on, Sans' empty eye sockets stared at her long enough for her to realize she should probably sort out papers alone. In the corner. Away from him.

"...i should probably go back to my job. see you later, alphys."

After some time, Alphys looked up, noticing he was nowhere to be seen.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans appeared behind his stand, noticing how the monster seemed baffled by his sudden appearance. He looked at the clock behind the counter, noticing he wasn't _that_ late. Just… fashionably late. Not that the owners complained about him, nah, they were good monsters. Heck, it's not like anyone wanted to do his jobs, he wasn't even sure why there was so many stands all around the underground, all of which he had to look after. By himself. Well, at least it paid enough and they were lenient about his shifts… too lenient it seemed.

He yawned, hearing Papyrus' voice echo in the cave. Wait. Why was Papyrus here? Wasn't he supposed to be in the outskirts of Snowdin? Undyne was bound to notice…

Sans' neck stretched out, his head noticing that tall skeleton carrying Frisk in his arms before setting her down. Frisk? It's been one heck of a while, she should have passed by already. Now that he realized it… it probably wasn't a good idea to leave her wandering the marsh with Undyne about, and although Chara said she'd leave the kid alone… well, should he take her word for it?

He watched the two walk by, grinning when he saw Frisk run up to the stand. "Sans! Papyrus rescued me from the fog, isn't he so cool!" she grinned, pointing to the skeleton who stood there with his hand on his chin, posing valiantly. The fog? Frisk never had trouble with the fog…

"…hey kid, hey paps. uh… paps… why don't you go and check up on undyne, you know… try to get a feel of where she'll be so frisk knows of what places to avoid?" asked Sans, noticing that Papyrus seemed eager. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SCOUT UNDYNE FOR THE HUMAN. I'M OFF, NYEH-HEH-HEH! …HEH!"

Sans smiled, his brother's silly laugh sounding heavenly after so many worries in his mind. Papyrus always seemed so… brotherly towards Frisk, he wasn't _as_ silly as he usually was. "so kid… it uh… looks like my lunch break so… wanna head over to grillby's? don't worry, i know a shortcut."

Frisk tilted her head, her eyes looking droopy with that flat line on her lips appearing. Chara. Sans could sense the dread every time Frisk's eyes face would freeze in that expression. Frisk never seemed to notice and she had actually become accustomed to the feeling from what she told him. Chara didn't seem to be influencing Frisk, so that was good…

Sans walked slowly, holding out his right hand and watching as she easily clasped it, her expression softening back into her natural easy going face. She smiled, her eyes large and caramel brown standing out from the red ribbon wrapped around her head. Her haircut didn't look half bad on her. Walking hand in hand he led her around the corner which was darker, his left eye glowing a bright blue as the darkness seemed to smudge, slowly turning into figures that appeared to be trees. Before Frisk knew what was happening, her feet stepped on snow and the shadows the trees created shrouded around the two. "Woah… you have to teach me these shortcuts," smiled Frisk, unable to believe that in a matter of seconds they were back in Snowdin. Sans could only smile. "It's a monster thing…" he breathed out, his hand still clasped with hers as they made their way into Grillbys.

Once inside, all the monsters turned their heads and their gazes stared at the duo. Sans let go of her hand, putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he walked by, nodding and winking at monsters who greeted them both. He looked over to Frisk whose head had turned red, her cheeks one thousand shades of red and looking quite flustered, her hands playing her fingers as she smiled. She still wasn't used to the attention, it seemed.

"sup grillbz," Sans greeted, sitting down in his usual seat, while he watched Frisk struggle. Ah, poor kid. She was always struggling with that seat that he gave up on the whoopee cushion altogether. Before he decided to help her, she managed to sit down, staring at the flaming humanoid. "…hi…" she whispered, waving. Sans shrugged. "…so kid, burgers as usual?" asked Sans, noticing the way she eagerly nodded. Grillby walked away, leaving Frisk to stare at Sans with those large eyes of hers. Oh god. Sans sighed, looking away and scratching his backbone. Why did it always feel somewhat awkward when they were eating alone? It was like… she was expecting something. "um… so tell me about that fog…" he muttered, looking over her and noticing the way she suddenly got somber.

She seemed to be thinking about it, looking at the counter as she spoke. "…I remembered more stuff. About me… I… I remembered more stuff about mama, in the fog. About… my old life, before I moved. I thought… My Papa…"

Sans noticed she had begun to cry, sniffling as she wiped away the tears. The monsters around them seemed to be getting the picture and had moved farther away, leaving the two of them in the spotlight while Frisk sobbed. "My brother… there's was a big fire and bad men everywhere… Mama said I hit my head really bad and didn't remember anything. She told me Papa was hiding with mi familia, and uncle Juju was on business and couldn't fly anymore. I don't know if Papa is alive or not…" Frisk leaned over, sobbing and crying unto his jacket while he wrapped his arm around her.

Sans noticed Grillby set the two plates down, turning around shining the glassware, in almost the same way Steamy would do. Grillby probably didn't even remember Steamy or his wife. "Sans… have you ever lost someone dear…?" asked Frisk, noticing the way he seemed to tense up, staring at the barkeep. "…yeah kid. i've lost a lot of friends, and two very special monsters to me." he whispered, his right eye socket gleaming with what appeared to be water. Was he… crying?

Frisk held on tighter. One of them had to be his mom. Who was the other monster? Grillby set down the polished glass, going back and she noticed the way that Sans seemed to stare at him, almost like he reminded him of someone. "…steamy…" he whispered, shaking his head as it fell. "Steamy?" asked Frisk.

Sans was silent. In front of them were their two plates, still sizzling from the heat and smelling quite delicious. "…yeah she was my um… she was my girl back in school, well, back when i attended monster school. that was so many years ago, she'd probably be older than me by now," Sans chuckled. As the years had passed, both he and Asgore seemed to stand the pass of time while Papyrus aged _very_ slowly. Sans wouldn't deprive his brother of joy of growing up like he had been.

The more Sans thought about age, the most Steamy came to his mind. That **hot** girl, always sparking with life and with fiery hair that was swept to the side. She was the most beautiful color white he had ever seen, and her flames were way hotter than her baby brother Grillby's… so hot, she'd sizzle and steam would surround her. She would always giggle at his bad jokes and puns, and she would go out of her way to help Sans with Papyrus when he was busy helping Gaster. _"Off to help G, huh?"_ she'd often ask. G. Gaster. Back when he loved his father, and he'd call him 'G' because Gaster seemed so formal. That girl would help him, no questions asked. And then when they started dating… Grillby almost scorched his slacks and black long sleeve blouse, but Steamy stepped in. _"Is everything okay, silly bones?"_ she'd often ask after Arial died. That soon turned to, _"I'm worried about you,"_ when the experimentations began. And then… she disappeared along with a good amount of monsters. She stopped existing, and Grillby had forgotten about her, but not about Sans. They continued to be friends, but… it was during those days he'd sit alone in the bar, looking to his side where Steamy used to sit, flickering flames where her eyes would be as a red color would appear on her white form, her hand grabbing his as she'd whisper sweet words and would be mindful of his rolled up sleeve.

Sans sighed, closing his eye sockets while a gentle blue slowly faded in and out of his cheeks.

Frisk didn't seem to understand at all. How old was Sans? He didn't seem old at all, although now… She slowly let go of Sans had finally opened his eye sockets and had gotten the bottle of ketchup and poured it all over his burger while he poured some on Frisk's side of the plate, knowing she wasn't quite the fanatic like he was. "eat up kid. sometimes we don't know what's going to happen, but that's the beauty of life, right? if we knew what was going to happen, we'd get bored… you know, something tells me your dad is out there looking for you. don't you ever give up, okay? sometimes is better to know the truth than to be sheltered by lies, even if it hurts. your mom probably felt you were too young know just yet, but i know she would have told you as you matured. as long as you were with her, you were happy, weren't you? and she was happy with you. people that love each should stick together, and they can brave the world."

Frisk dipped her burger, listening to Sans who seemed to be getting profound. He turned to her, noticing how she seemed concerned and he grinned, taking his covered burger. "so, how do you make a burger smile?"

Frisk perked up, chewing her burger and swallowing before answering: "I don't know?"

Sans put down his burger, wiping his hands on the napkins set aside before clearing his throat. "…well… to make a burger smile, you have **pickle** it gentle or else it laughs,"

Frisk tried to hold in her laughter, her burger falling on the plate as Sans tickled her sides, the rest of the bar continuing their side conversations.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Papyrus walked around the marsh where usually Undyne would patrol.

"Papyrus, what are you doing here? Do you have a status report?" asked the armored captain, noticing he had a certain _smell_. She had noticed this smell recently, but today it was stronger, and he seemed to be acting so sheepishly. "HI UNDYNE, NYEH-HEH...HEH? UM. SO WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PATROL TODAY?" he asked, watching the captain walk towards him, her eyes noticing a fine hair on his shoulders. "…Is that… a human hair?" she asked with incredulity in her voice, her hands picking up the fine thing, noticing his nervousness. "UNDYNE, PLEASE BE REASONABLE. SHE'S REALLY NICE AND-" began Papyrus, but Undyne's hands grasped the skeleton's shoulders. "Listen to me, Papyrus! That human is our way out of the underground! I just need to… capture her. Where is she?"

Papyrus laughed weakly, not knowing if he could trust her for a moment. "WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU CAPTURE HER?"

Undyne took a step back, unable to process his question. He had never asked this question before. Poor, naïve Papyrus couldn't hurt anyone. She stared at the skeleton, for a moment seeing that tall skeleton woman in him, but she shook her head. Arial was dead. She was killed by a human. The reason why Undyne became so strong, and became the hero she was, was because of that old skeleton hero and yet she died trying to spare those that killed her. That… kid. That kid not only shot her eye out ' _by accident'_ but he allegedly _killed_ Arial by accident.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Undyne**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The boy shook his head, spitting on the ground as his gun tipped his cowboy hat up. "I don't take challenges lightly, 'mam." he simply said, noticing the fish girl was getting agitated. "Well I don't take HUMANS lightly. Now FIGHT ME!" she commanded, throwing her spear at the human who dodged it with ease. "If you insist, 'mam" muttered the human tween, watching his yellow SOUL pop out of his chest as a wall of blue and red surrounded them. He didn't enjoy fighting ladies but this fish girl was really hankering for a whoopin'. She had followed him around all day today and yesterday, and today she had called him out by calling him a _coward_. Him? _A yellow-belly_? Why, he couldn't believe the fish had the audacity to say that to his face.

He looked down at his pouch, opening the bullet pouch, but closing it immediately. No. He wasn't about to kill a lady, _even if_ said lady was uncouth. Instead, his hands went in and grabbed several blanks, putting them into his gun. He had so many blanks left, he was sure he would escape the underground without actually harming the innocent folk _and_ uncouth ladies.

As the battle began, the boy dodged every single attack with precision, grinning and smirking every time. He'd shoot a few blanks her way and she'd panic, running far from him before trying once more hit him with a spear. She was an enthusiastic one, he'd give her that. As the fight dragged on, the fish lady seemed to get more and more frustrated, until in a moment of frustration she threw her body against his. Shocked, the cowboy's trigger finger pressed the button on the gun, his eyes widening as the blank shot fired in front of her face. _Oh shit_. He hoped the blank didn't do any damage, after all, it was a blank, but he recoiled in disgust when he saw it was otherwise. The fish woman screamed in agony, her hands grasping her face as her left side of the face was covered in red goo of what had been her left eye.

He could see the battle walls fading, and his yellow SOUL returning. He gulped. Sure, he had a yellow SOUL but he wasn't a yellow-belly, and this proved it but… he felt extremely bad for the lady. "I'm sorry 'mam, that was an accident… I wasn't trying to-" began to cowboy but Undyne shook her head, walking back. "Get away from me, human!" she shouted, unable to believe herself saying this. She wanted to fight him so bad, and kill him for what he had done, but her vision was blurry and she was sure she couldn't aim right now.

The human sighed, shaking his head as he began to walk away, when a training dummy began to follow him in suit. "HEY HUMAN! Fight ME instead! Or are ya… a yellow-belly?" it shouted, laughing as it began to hop towards the garbage dump. The Human gritted his teeth, taking out his gun shooting at it as it hopped away, going after the mad dummy with fury in his eyes. Boy, that kid _hated_ being called a yellow-belly.

Undyne whimpered, her arms trembling as she tried to collect herself. Why did she challenge him? Sure, she was sure she could beat him up eventually, but now…

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, UNDYNE?" Asked Arial in her battle suit, looking quite concerned. "Y-yeah, this is my fault… I… I challenged the human, even when you asked me not to. I'm sorry Arial… but humans are dangerous, see?"

Arial looked down, shaking her head. "SOMETIMES HEROS NEED TO KNOW WHEN TO PICK THEIR BATTLES. TRUE HEROS KNOW WHEN TO SHOW MERCY, AND WHEN TO STRIKE DOWN AN ENEMY. SOME MONSTERS MAY THINK I'M NOT A TRUE HERO, BUT EVERYTIME I SPARE A HUMAN, I SEE KINDNESS AND COMPASSION IN THEIR EYES, AS WELL AS GRATITUDE. THEY'RE LIKE YOU AND ME… THEY WANT TO GET TO THE SURFACE TOO, BECAUSE THEY HAVE FAMILY THERE WAITING FOR THEM. UNDYNE, PLEASE WAIT HERE."

Undyne watched Arial go after the two with her single eye, sitting on the ground as she calmed herself from what happened. Man, was this going to make a sick battle scar.

As the day progressed, she heard Mr. G's screams, and she got up, wondering what was going on. As she approached, she realized what her eye was witnessing. A bullet… flying in the air… and piercing Arial's skull from the side. Her hero. A true hero of the underground… felled by a human.

She watched in shock as the human seemed consumed by anger, shouting about how Arial was his _friend_. Friend? He just shot and killed Arial! Her hero… died.

Her chest heaved, her single eye crying as her left hand clenched her left side of her face. She was going to be a hero soon. Arial had been training her as her apprentice but now… she was going to be a hero. A TRUE hero. A hero who would not die like Arial.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Undyne the Undying. She would never die so easily to a human. "The human will help open the barrier, and we can _all_ live happily ever after." Undyne replied in a monotone, watching as Papyrus sighed in relief. "OKAY! WE CAN ALL GO AND BREAK THE BARRIER TOGETHER."

Undyne winced inside her helmet, shaking her head. "No, you have to stay back and look out for any other humans that might appear. I'll take the human. What does she look like?"

Papyrus put his hands on his hips, looking to be pensive. "HM… SHE WAS WEARING A RED RIBBON AND ORANGE TOUGH-LOOKING GLOVES. AND SHE'S WEARING BLUE PANTS SHE CALLS JEANS AND A BLUE STRIPED SWEATER SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO LIKE TO BE WITHOUT."

Undyned smiled inside her helmet, patting Papyrus on his shoulders. "I'll capture her, but you'll get credit. You'll join the royal guard soon,"

Papyrus 'nyeh'ed in glee, an orange fluster appearing on his cheekbones as he seemed to flip out in happiness. "Go back to Snowdin and patrol the area… you'll be raised to captain assistant if you do," Undyne commanded with persuasion in her voice. Papyrus didn't even need to think about it twice. He was running off towards Snowdin, leaving Undyne to look over the marches. The eighth human was hers.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk waved goodbye to the skeleton and the monster in the corner, smiling as she began to walk, but noticed a small monster kid who stared back at her. "Yooo! You sneaking off to see her too?"

Frisk tilted her head, her blank expression once more returning. The monster kid stared at her face which resembled lines, and he laughed, taking her silence as a yes. "Awesome! She's the coolest right?! I wanna be like her when I grow up… Hey, let's together!"

Frisk watched the hyper monster run off, his head bouncing as he did. What an odd child, but it sounded fun, to go together even though he was way ahead now. She walked in his general direction.

As she walked, she noticed the glowing mushrooms and she wondered if they were edible? Welp, her mama told her to never eat wild mushrooms, so, she didn't. Instead she continued to make her way down the cavern, hearing the sound of rushing water nearby. When she approached the waterfall, she noticed large ice cubes floating down, and she knew she'd be knocked down if she was hit by one. She breathed in; making her away across, her feet pushed against the running water. Her ears could hear the large splashes and she looked to her side, her eyes widening, falling down. She yelped, but her body hit wooden planks, and she looked around. Oh, thank goodness. She noticed a lone glowing blue flower, remember that the monster in the corner said it usually repeated what it last heard. She approached the flower, startled when a voice began to speak. " _Sitting behind rushing water... It makes me feel relaxed. I swore I saw something... Behind that rushing water.._."

Frisk tilted her head, looking up and wondering if she should check it out… Going back up, she braved her heart and treaded through the water, noticing a cave inside. She walked inside, noticing what looked like an old tutu… a tutu!

Frisk expression changed, grinning as she ran to it, noticing it was a faded pink, looking like a lilac… it was perfect! She put it on, dancing inside the room before regaining control of herself—oh she loved wearing these things! Even if uncle Juju wasn't coming back… it didn't mean she should stop dancing. He had been her excuse for dressing up in a tutu everyday, but now… well, it's not like anyone cares what she wears right? She skipped out of the cave, feeling faster and evading the floating ice. She grooved her way unto the next chamber, and noticing super tall grass. She gulped but made her way through it, stopping when she bumped into the monster kid. She stared at him and was about to excuse herself when she realized he was staring at something… someone.

She looked up and she saw a tall figure dressed in full armor, a blue spear appearing as she inched closer. Frisk cowered down whereas the monster kid jumped in joy. "Undyne!" he shouted in glee, and the figure retreated back into the darkness, disappearing. Frisk breathed out, walking out the grass and watching as the monster kid followed behind. "Yo… did you see the way she was staring at you?! That. Was. AWESOME! I'm SOOOO jealous!"

Frisk watched the monster kid continue to talk before running off once more, falling down this time face first but getting up despite not having any arms. What a _strange_ monster. He seemed fun.

Frisk carried on, noticing water around, sitting quite peacefully, but… it looked deep. She noticed a sign on the wall of the cave, and she read it, wondering… She noticed flowers on the floor. Was this like a puzzle? She carried the large flowers, watching them float away. When she connected all four, however… they bloomed. Woah. They're pretty _and_ durable! She hesitated at first, testing the flower before stepping on it, realizing just how strong they were. She walked across, proud of her. More puzzles it seemed! This time however, she noticed a boardwalk in the distance. That was strange. Instead of making her way to what seemed the exit, she let the flowers float away towards that board, watching the flowers bloom. She stepped on them, walking on the old creaking boardwalk and looking around the darkness, seeing a few lights in the end. As she approached, she noticed a bench and an echo flower… and boy did that bench look dusty, except for the corner that was next to the echo flower. " _I just wasn't ready for the responsibility._ " it said, in what sounded like Sans' voice. She noticed something underneath the bench, picking up what looked to be an old quiche… spinach and egg it seemed. Sans made it? But… hmm… when she was in bed while in her 'date' with Papyrus, he mentioned Sans made a quiche made _without_ eggs… hmmm, the intrigue intensified.

As she made her way back and worked on puzzle to cross the water and get to the exit, she encountered an Aaron. He seemed so muscular! Frisk, determined to show off her flabby arms, flexed back, grinning as it turned into a flexing contest. He had so much muscle! And… he flexed away. What a cool dude. She was sure her Uncle Juju and brother Fernando would have loved to entered a flexing contest with him.

Carrying on, she crossed the water but stopped when she received a phone call. Papyrus. "Hello?" answered Frisk. "HUMAN! MY FRIEND, UNDYNE, CALLED ME AND TOLD ME SHE HEARD YOU WERE WEARING A DUSTY TUTU. IS THAT TRUE? BECAUSE UNDYNE IS LOOKING FOR YOU, AND SHE'S COVERED IN ARMOR AND SCARY LOOKING. I WANT YOU TO BREAK THE BARRIER BUT I'M HOPING WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER, SO I DON'T WANT HER TO FIND YOU BEFORE WE GET TOGETHER."

Frisk tilted her head. He didn't want her to find her… so that meant he was going to help her. She smiled. "Yes Paps, I'm wearing a tutu I found."

"AH, I SEE. I'LL LET HER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WEARING, WINK-WINK."

Frisk heard the click on the phone and she put it away. Ah, Papyrus… what a cool dude. And now… onwards, she passed through a short tunnel which led to… a cave within the cave, and boy… was it breathtaking. It was like that den where the bench was except… more beautiful. She looked up at the ceiling of the cave and noticing the star like gems that seemed to produce light, twinkling and reminding her of the night sky back home. Would she ever see the night sky, and the moon?

As she walked the room, several echo flowers sounded off.

"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling..."

"Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The king will prove that. "

"C'mon, sis! Make a wish!"

"I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday... "

"Ah... seems my horoscope is the same as last week's..."

Frisk smiled, hearing all these monsters. There was just one problem… there wasn't an exit. She sighed, noticing a telescope and looking through it, noticing that there was something written… and when illuminated by a glowing rock, it gave her the answer. A secret passage way… very sneaky!

Walking through the boardwalk, she noticed some text in the wall. So… humans attacked first. She wondered what it was like, living in a world where monsters and humans interacted. These monsters seemed so nice and timid… some of the ones that fought seemed to only do so because they were scared of her. She realized why… the world she came from. Her mother tried so hard to shield her from it. Her uncle Juju would shield her from it. Fernando would shield her from it. Everyone shielded her from it, except for abuelita (grandma) Marcela. She was always so… forward with things.

As she continued to read the text, she began to wonder. A human… and a monster… together? There was a big word there, but she understood what it meant. She had heard the legends of the human versus monsters war, back, way back when humanity began to create civilizations. The monsters outnumbered the humans, and yet… humans won the war because they were stronger. She had heard that there was a seven mages, or wizards that were incredibly powerful and who sealed the remaining monster population here in these mountains. The remaining monster population… she had always wondered about that. Her Papa would tell her that heroes from all civilizations had vanquished the most powerful of monsters, and that once, the entire upper hemisphere belonged to the monsters in the country which they called Bergentrückung, or something… coincidentally, their capital had been this entire country which was now named 'Bergen' after _their_ country name. Now… it seemed that so few monsters remained. Did humans really… did they…

Frisk noticed the scary image, and then remembered another story her papa would tell her. The story of how monsters would kidnap you and eat you so that they would become powerful beings. He had heard that several heroes became so famous because they were able to work together to take down these monsters. Did monsters really… eat humans? Well, from what she gathered here in the underground, they were indeed after her, but… they didn't seem like they wanted to do it. She was beginning to understand. It was a complex situation she was in, but was beginning to understand the feelings of the monsters. She was not going to give up.

She turned and saw a black lake. She gulped, noticing piece of wood. Oh dear. She stepped on it, balancing herself as it began to go forward, slowly, but surely. It began to slow down past midway and she braved her heart as her hands went into the black looking water, peddling herself to the shore on the other side. She slowly got up when she reached the other side, jumping unto the boardwalk and noticing the wood beginning to drift down into the water. Well… no turning back it seemed.

She walked the boardwalk, noticing her shadow and tall pillars to her left while on her right was tall grass that grew out of the water. As she walked, she came to an abrupt stop, staring at a blue spear. She turned to the pillars and saw that figure in body armor… oh no. Her heart quickened and she began to run, tripping over the loose wood and realizing that the path curved. She looked up and suddenly felt a blue spear pierce through her body, blood splashing on the boardwalk and the spear disappearing, but she continued to bleed. She looked back and saw a hail of spears coming her war, her red SOUL popped out and hurting. She tried to dodge most of the spears, but a few hit her. Her SOUL throbbed, and her breath quickened, her legs once more running as fast as she could, trying to dodge the spears **. "Hey kid, let me take over. I can dodge them, they're a piece of cake."** whispered Chara's voice inside her head. Chara… she had been awfully quiet lately. Frisk shook her head, looking back and her legs slowing down out of fear of that blue spear, which then proceeded to hit her and pin her for a moment. She had to stop looking back. She continued to run, noticing spears flying from behind and then… two piercing right through her. Her mouth was agape, tears running down her round cheeks as her strength left her. "Ma…ma…" she whispered, closing her eyes, her red SOUL's beating slowly coming to an end and hearing it shattering when her eyes closed. Everything went black.

" _Don't lose hope!"_

…what? Frisk could feel herself in an empty space, floating. Everything was dark. It was… scary. She felt so alone.

" _Flor… Stay determined!"_

…mama? That was mama's voice. But… how? and… Flor? Flower? (Flor is Spanish for flower.)

Frisk could feel her head beginning to hurt. Why did Flor sound familiar, like… it's something she should know. Flower? Flowers? What about flowers?

Suddenly, the darkness began to turn into cubes, being pulled into a tiny white light that… that seemed to resemble a star. Wait… that star shape looked familiar.

Frisk opened her eyes, and there she was, standing on the entrance of the cave. Woah! It looked so breathtaking! There was text on the walls and she skipped to them, beginning to read them and…

… and…

… this felt… familiar. . .

… why did… it feel…

" **Hey girly. Are you feeling confused?"** asked Chara inside her mind. Frisk nodded, her head hurting a lot. Why did it hurt? **"Let me tell you something about the stars… they're SAVE points. SAVE points are points in your journey that are so unforgettable or powerful, that when you get killed here, in the underground, you return to them. Y..o..u.. d..i..e..d."**

Frisk stumbled as she walked, falling back as her heart raced. Spears. Lots of spears. **"Bingo. Thanks to** _ **MY**_ **power, you're able to come back after death. Without me… you'd be dead. So… why don't you let me take over this piece of the journey, I can dodge easy."**

Frisk remembered. It wasn't déjà vu. She felt that there was something she should remember about her death that was important, but before she could focus on it, Chara spoke again. **"Hey. It's fine if you want to try again… by all means. Keep going forward, little sis,"**

Frisk gulped, nodding as she got up. She remembered what happened here, she read the text and remembered about the legends her papa would tell her. She looked at the piece of wood, more confident as she stepped on it and rowed herself to shore as fast as she could. She was determined to not get hit now that she knew.

She ran when she that blue spear. She ran as fast as she could, stopping when she realized she was aiming and continuing to run when she threw the spears. It was brilliant, now that she knew. She escaped without a hit on her, running into the tall grass. She could hear the heavy footsteps on the boardwalk… she was coming after her. She ran into that monster kid, his large eyes staring past her in awe. She fell to the ground, crawling away but stopping when she felt the footsteps on the earth. The monster kid hopped in excitement, watching as his hero grasped his head and pulled him up, her eyes meeting his and realizing… this wasn't a human. It was just MK. She sighed, setting him down, turning back and searching the ground, walking slowly with her spear out as she retraced her steps, leaving the grass.

Frisk gulped, her heart beating fast. She crawled out of the grass, too scared to get up. Her body slowly got up after a minutes, sighing as she walked a few steps outside of the grass when the monster kid came running behind her, excitement in his eyes. "Yo! Did you see THAT! Undyne just… just TOUCHED me!" he exclaimed with beatitude in his voice. "…I'm never washing my face ever again…" he whispered in awe, grinning as his feet began to march in place. "Come on, let's keep going! Don't be shy this time, if you had stayed where you were, Undyne would've touched you instead! Unlucky for you, but lucky for me," he grinned, running off, once more falling face first before getting up and running off once more.

Frisk sighed, shaking her head _. She_ was the lucky one.

She walked the next cave entrance, her heart throbbing in fear of what she may come across… but she found it to be quite peaceful. She walked inside, noticing a small table with cheese… and… a crystal around said cheese. She noticed the mouse's tunnel… aww poor mouse. He was going to get that cheese, she just knew it! Her heart throbbed, not with fear but with determination! It was full of determination now! She noticed a star—eerr, SAVE point. It flashed very lightly, and she could feel herself regain her strength. Now she knew what this strange star was… Why didn't Chara tell her about it before…? Now she knew she could leave the underground without killing anyone and she had unlimited tries to do so, it was great news!

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans sighed. Man, was it _boring_ sometimes. He was beginning to snooze once more when he received a call… it was Papyrus. "SANS, UNDYNE KNOWS ABOUT FRISK,"

Immediately, Sans panicked. "…what? how? paps, talk to me,"

"I WENT LOOKING FOR UNDYNE LIKE YOU TOLD ME TO, AND… SHE FIGURED IT OUT. SHE TOLD ME IT WAS OKAY THOUGH, SHE'S ONLY GOING TO CAPTURE HER SO THAT THEY CAN BREAK THE BARRIER TOGETHER, AND THEN WE CAN ALL LIVE ON THE SURFACE TOGETHER! THERE'S NO NEED TO WORRY, BROTHER."

Sans would rip his hair off it he had any. She tricked Papyrus…

"RIGHT NOW I'M PATROLLING SNOWDIN, AND I'M JUST CALLING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT FRISK IS NOW WEARING A TUTU. IT'S MY DUTY AS A SOON-TO-BE ROYAL GUARD TO PATROL, BUT… IF YOU CAN ACCOMPANY UNDYNE AND FRISK, I'D EVEN HAPPIER. SHE'S NEEDS HELP ALL THE TIME I'M SURE IT'D BE AWKWARD FOR UNDYNE TO HOLD FRISK'S HAND."

Sans was hyperventilating during the entire phone conversation, his blue eye glowing as he searched the marches. She was no where to be seen. He panted, trying to keep his phone away from his head, but listening to Papyrus. "…y-yeah bro. we don't want the human to get **frisk** y with undyne, she won't **spear** her when she's angry."

From the other side of the line, Papyrus groaned before hanging up. That was one way of ending the conversation quick. Sans could notice spears on the planks near the stone pillars. They had been here. He went ahead and spotted her in her tutu, looking at old forgotten cheese inside a crystal. There she was. Sans sighed with relief, realizing it would be weird if she saw him here, all sweaty and worried. He walked around, noticing a telescope. Perfect. He dug around the pockets of his jacket, grinning as he wet the rims of it with the ink. He breathed in deeply, calming himself as he wiped away the sweat, trying to seem normal… yeah… just a guy standing next to a telescope. Hm… Sans grinned, coloring in the glass of the telescope with the red marker, snickering as he returned to standing next to it. Yeah. He'll pretend he's selling telescope services.

Frisk rolled on by, grinning as she saw Sans stand there with his hands in his pockets. "Sans!" she exclaimed, embracing the skeleton who seemed surprised by her grip. What happened? Did Undyne scare her more than he anticipated?

A few stray tears were wiped away as she grinned, kissing his cheek and snuggling with the skeleton. If only he knew she had died, then he'd understand why she was acting like so. He looked at her puzzled, but he cleared his throat, his blue blush subsiding as he took his hands out of his pocket, presenting the telescope. "ya know, i've been thinking about getting into the telescope business. …it's usually 50,000G to use this here premium telescope… but… since i know you and all, you can use it for free. howzabout it?" he winked, his blue blush making him seem innocent enough. Very well!

Frisk grinned, pushing her face into the telescope and moving it around while Sans snickered in the background, trying to contain his laughter. Poor, gullible Frisk.

Frisk made a face, her lips pouting out, almost like a duck with her eyebrows furrowed. "Sans…" she whined, her eyes linking with her left one marked by the marker. Sans laughed, shaking his head. "huh? ya aren't satisfied? don't worry… i'll give you a full refund," he winked, continuing to laugh as Frisk's angry face broke into laughter, shaking her head. "Oh Sans…" she whispered, walking away. Hm. Maybe she should call Papyrus? She took out her cell phone, hearing the dial tone. "Paps! Sans pranked me using a _telescope_!" Frisk cried into the phone with frustration, a giggle escaping at the end. "HUH?" He questioned at first. Then an 'ahhh' sounded off, followed by, "MY BROTHER? OH, OF COURSE HE HAS A TELESCOPE. SANS LOVES OUT SPACEY SCI-FI STUFF."

Frisk didn't know that… he did? Sans always seemed so lazy… hmm. Maybe that explains the quantum physics book inside the joke book… "Wow, really Paps? I didn't know that about Sans… thanks for telling me. " Frisk replied, sweetly. "HMM? HE NEVER TOLD YOU? YEAH, HE NEVER TELLS ANYBODY ANYTHING."

Frisk sighed with understanding. "Okay… thank you Paps. Bye…" she whispered, hanging up and looking around, noticing that Sans had disappeared. Off to prank someone else, she supposed.

In the corner of the room, Chara bit her lip. Frisk's determination was beginning to pose a problem. Sans… Florencia… and her determination were beginning to screw up this timeline against her favor. She disappeared as Frisk turned to the corner, exploring.

As Chara disappeared, a golden flower popped out of the earth in the corner. "Well, well, well… the demon thinks she's the only one who can play dirty, eh?" chuckled the yellow flower, grinning as he leaned back unto the walls, crossing his leafy hands. "Two can play that game, sweetheart."

The flower looked to the side, wondering when would be a good time to appear before the tall bafoon. If only that skeleton had been a human child _, man_ would that have been easy. Perhaps too easy. As much as Flowey wanted power, he too, had standards. That demon really made things interesting. It was a worthy player to play with although... something about her seemed to bug him. She was so… relentless.

Flowey shook his head, images of a dream flashing in his mind, but he didn't understand any of it.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Asriel**

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"It sounds like it came from over here…" whispered Asriel to himself, jumping back when he saw it. "Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you?" he asked softly, beginning to approach it. "Are you okay?"

Asriel stared at the creature which had hit the ground with a loud 'thud' and it cried in pain, mumbling, "I… can't…die…yet…"

Asriel breathed in, but realized he had nothing to fear—it was really wounded and it was crying in agony it seemed. He got closer, bending down and moving its hair to the side, revealing… smooth, fair skin. Beautiful, red eyes. He was struck with awe, his heart beating fast and his cheeks flustering, his hand gently caressing its cheek but falling back when it cried painfully, "Don't hurt me!"

It began to rise up, its legs wobbly her hands holding unto a knife and golden flowers. That knife… looked bloody. The rest of its face seemed to also have cuts and scruffs, and he realized that as beautiful as he thought it looked at first, the reality was that it was injured all over. Chara held the knife close to her chest, her eyes staring at him in confused. "…a…goat?" she breathed out, her knees buckling as she fell down, crying in immense pain.

Asriel was scared of the knife, but once the creature looked up once more with tears in its eyes, his fear subsided and he approached once more. "Here, get up." the goat gently said with genuine concern in his voice. Chara looked up, realizing… he… wasn't… human. She had nothing to fear. In fact, his furry appearance reminded her of Fufu, the stray dog who would fill her days with love, and who would use her nose to try to comfort her when she was hurt or sad. This goat… he was doing the same. He was trying to help her. He didn't even know it, but he was comforting her with his voice—it sounded like a boy, a young… goat boy. So… the legends of monsters living inside the mountain were true. This was a monster… and yet… _the real_ monsters lived on the surface.

Chara smiled, looking at the concern in his eyes. "M-my name's… Chara Takish… um… just Chara. I… don't have a family… anymore…" she breathed out with happiness in her voice. Asriel seemed confused, his gentle goat hands attempting to help her up. "…Chara, huh? That's a nice name. My name is Asriel. Asriel Dreemur."

Chara smiled through the pain, wrapping her right arm around the goat's shoulder and neck, letting herself be helped up. "…t-thank you… Asriel…" Chara whispered, her left hand gripping the dagger and flowers. She noticed the goat seemed uneasy about the dagger—that's right, the monster war. "…sorry… this… m-my old family… were ninjas… disowned… and.. it's all that's left… of my big sis…" Chara whispered, her back burning with pain, as though her father were still whipping her with the burning whip.

Asriel nodded, trying to understand. Ninjas? What were ninjas? Perhaps her sister died and her essence was in the dagger… poor thing. As they walked towards the RUINS, his mother appeared, smiling but soon worry washing over her.

She stared at Asriel and the human girl holding the knife. Oh no. Toriel held her breath, but realized that the human girl seemed injured. Before she could ask what was going on, the girl seemed to have lost her energy and collapsed, her expression showing pain as her back hit the floor.

"Asriel, what's going on?" asked Toriel, watching as Asriel panicked. "She fell down from the ceiling and she's hurt. I think her sister died and is in the dagger, she said that's all that's left of her," Asriel explained, watching as Toriel walked to the human and inspected the dagger.

The dagger was warm, and the blood wasn't dry yet. Upon further inspecting, she realized that the girl had scars on her hands, and her face looked like she was in a fight recently. Her green sweater had bloodstains on the front, probably from holding the knife to her closely, but then she realized that the ground beneath her was beginning to pool together fresh blood. Toriel picked up the human, realizing that the sweater was covered in blood from behind, and it pooled at the lower back. She looked at Asriel who seemed scared, and Toriel managed a smile. "Asriel, go home and tell dad that you found a human girl injured. Tell him I'm going to heal her, so prepare the guest room."

The young goat who wore a royal blue sweater nodded, running past his mother and doing as he was told. Toriel waited until her son was gone to pick up the sweater which was beginning to stick to the girl's back. There, she found the most unsightly thing Toriel had ever seen. Her back was filled with old scars, all sewn up, but the most recent injuries were fresh, bleeding and not taken care of. She had burn marks on those fresh injuries, almost like… she had been hit with something sharp that was on fire. How could humans be so heartless? She was only a child!

What took her breath away was the large cut across her back that had been recently sewn up. It looked like it had been in the process of being cauterized, because the lower end of it was not cauterized, and midway looked like it wasn't properly cauterized. This girl was losing a lot of blood… she'd die. Toriel looked at the girl who looked as pale as a ghost, sweating and breathing hard. Her hands held unto the flowers and the dagger with a deathgrip it seemed—the warm knife meant that it was used to cauterize the wound on the back perhaps. Her sister was dead… and the knife was all she had of her. Toriel guessed that the sister died protecting her, or healing her, it seemed. What poor unfortunate girl.

In the house, Toriel breathed in deeply, her hands glowing green as she continued to heal the girl. She could see Asgore and Asriel standing in the doorway, watching her with intense eyes as she continued to exert herself. She never had trouble healing injuries… well, scrapes, small cuts and the like but this… this... was just…

"Arial!" Asgore squeaked in surprise, watching the skeleton run past them. "I… CAME AS FAST AS I COULD. IS… IT OKAY?" asked Arial in between breaths, her torso covered in a white sheet that crossed around it, while on her back was a bundle of joy named Papyrus. That small skelly baby slept soundly with its body against his mother's back. Toriel paused her magic, breathing heavy as she nodded slowly, looking at Asgore and Asriel. "Y-yesss… the human is… well… look for yourself, Arial. I'm trying my hardest, but… that nasty wound isn't closing up correctly."

The room's atmosphere thickened when the girl moaned, her head rising from the pillow. "T-tara?" she asked, her eyes opening and adjusting to the room's light. Before her stood a tall motherly looking goat and a skeleton.

…wait what?

Chara blinked, holding back her pain as she stared at the monsters. Oh… she remembered now. "W-what are you doing?" asked Chara weakly, noticing her her sweater had been taken off and that her bare back was exposed. Toriel blushed, looking at the girl with worry. "No need for alarm, my child. My name is Toriel, and I am Asriel's mother. I'm going to heal you, okay? T-there's a large cut on your back and I'm going to seal it so that it stops bleeding."

Chara stared at the goat for a moment, her face appeared full of dread before she nodded, looking down at the pillow. Toriel gasped, so surprised when she saw the girl grasp the pillow as hard as she could, biting it down with her eyes pressed shut. She was used to this…? She was used this abuse?

Arial was confused, watching as Toriel's hands glowed green, pressing gently on the bare lower back. The girl moaned, not in pain, but in comfort, her eyes opening and looking at the goat. It wasn't burning… it actually felt… nice. It felt warm, and good, like a gentle warm wet towel being pressed against her aching back after a long day of training and being beat up. She smiled, letting her head fall down on the pillow, her head noticing that there at the doorway was a tall goat, male looking, and the smaller goat she had met today. Asriel. He looked at her with those sparkling eyes of his… she had never seen anyone give her those type of eyes. Well… maybe Fufu when she was begging for food. It… it felt nice.

Hours passed, and the human girl was left alone in the room. Asriel came in with a plate of Butterscotch-cinnamon pie, his head peeking in before letting his entire body enter. The human girl's head moved in his direction, her red eyes staring at the pie with hunger. "W-what is that?" she asked, staring at it with wonder.

Asriel smiled. "It's Butterscotch-cinnamon pie. It's my dad's favorite, but everyone loves it, and I thought… maybe you'd like it too."

Chara watched as the small goat pulled a chair and set it beside her bed, blushing as he looked down. "Um… would you like it if… w-well… um… mother said you shouldn't move, so… so if you want pie I could… I could um... spoon feed you."

Chara stared at this… goat. She felt her cheeks light up a bright red, and she just… couldn't believe she was looking at a goat! This goat was showing her more kindness than Tara would show her sometimes… was it... possible that monsters were the exact opposite of humans?

Chara noticed how shy this goat-boy was, and she nodded, smiling. "Thank you… I… I've never had a 'pie'. My… my old family would only give me scraps." Chara mumbled, noticing that Asriel seemed confused.

And thus the two children talked in between spoonfuls, each exchanging information of their childhood, although Chara held back quite a lot of details and descriptions… the last thing she wanted to do was scare the monsters with what she had done. What if she told them the truth, and they thought she was a monster just like the rest of humanity?

Asriel looked at the empty plate, his mouth dry of words. "So… ninjas are assassins, and they raised you after killing your mom? I never thought humans could be so mean… but you seem so nice. Don't worry, Chara. I, Asriel Dreemur, will be your friend."

Chara smiled, looking at this kind goat. "You'll be my best friend…? You're not afraid of a relentless ninja prodigy?" asked Chara, who had withheld all her killings and 'cleansing' missions, only telling Asriel of her training and practice with the Takishkas who would whisper of her talent.

Asriel smiled back, shaking his head. "We'll be best friends _forever_."

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The flower continued to shake its head until the flashes ended. Those annoying flashes never made any sense. All he saw was blood this time, and Flowey knew what blood was. He began to laugh, disappearing into the ground as he plotted his next move.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy barks:**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Hey guys. What a night. Phew. So much typing. Anyways, I'm gonna take a hiatus considering my busy life is getting busy again. I dunno how long the hiatus will be, but… worry not. I will post a new chapter when I can, so until then PLEASE review and let me know what's up. You know, what you like, what you don't like, is it too dark, too not dark, too silly, not enough puns, etc. I will read the reviews and take them into consideration for the next chapter. Since I haven't been getting feedback, I've just been going with my gut and fingers, and maaan do I type faster than I think.

Also, is it better if the chapter is longer? I've noticed my word count has… been rising a lot. Like, first chapter was about 3,000 words and this one is 17,000. I felt like I really half-assed the first three chapters, but I was afraid readers would find the longer chapters intimidating. But since I got no reviews that said otherwise, I just began writing more.

As for the flashbacks…

I dunno. I like them. It gives the characters more depth I believe, and makes my version of Undertale more… darker and yet… comforting at the same time, while making sense to me. Yay or nay? And about Steamy… idk. Man. Its like, every time I see Sans and Grillby, I see a bromance. So I thought I'd give him some romantic interest in the story to make Sans a bit more relateable, and Grillby came to mind but uh… **no.** So I thought… hey, Grillby can have a _hot_ sister right? ;) For some reason, I can see Sans dating the bartender type of gal…

Lastly…

I really feel bad about the last chapter… (or the one before that one?) there's a chapter I wrote that I completely… just… posted without going back to check for errors, which I sure has many. I apologize I haven't updated that one. I will soon. Along with this one since I went over it lightly. Life man. Life. _**smh.**_

Chapter leak for the patient who read through this note: Toriel makes an appearance in the next chapter, along with more Arial, Gaster and Florencia. Paps saves the day again. Sans snoozes (as usual).

xoxo,

-PvW


	7. Mountain Rhapsody

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Updated 5.20.2016 for errors.

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 **Chapter Seven: Mountain Rhapsody**

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In her home, Toriel had just finished reading her favorite book: 72 Uses for Snails… for the 1,997th time. It was depressing to be sitting alone in her home knowing that she had sent an innocent youth by herself into the rest of the underground. It was so lonely, her home. She remembered a time when she would live with her family… Asgore, Asriel and Chara… everyone living together under this roof before they moved to the capitol. It was snug, yes, but it was the best days of her life. Not even above ground had she been that happy… they made all the difference. And then there was her best friend, Arial. She used to make the RUINS so interesting, and her partner, Gaster, would come up with some of the weirdest thoughts—brilliant, but weird. That had been so long ago… by now, Asriel would be a full grown monster, and she and Asgore would be… well, they'd be pretty darn old, in rocking chairs she was sure. Or perhaps they'd be… well… at least she would have enjoyed her life.

Toriel sighed to herself, wondering how Arial's life fared. By now… well… by now she would be old, but old enough to be still be around with her vitality. Her two sons should be full grown adults, perhaps with a family of their own and teenagers. Oh my. She wondered if any of them remembered her… she wondered if Asgore remembered her.

Toriel got up from her seat, setting down her book and taking off her glasses, walking to the kitchen and setting the pie outside so that it would cool down. Butterscotch and cinnamon. Asgore's favorite. Toriel closed her eyes, her arms hugging her torso as she silently sobbed, feeling the hot tears roll down her fur and fall down to her dress. "Why?" she asked herself, her hands wiping away the tears, her knees weak and bending as she sat on the floor of the kitchen where once upon a time, her family would gather to bake the perfect Butterscotch-cinnamon pie. And now… she was all alone, in that empty kitchen full of memories of a time long past with people long gone. Her two children were dead, and the children she met were dead too… and now… Frisk…

Toriel's sad eyes looked to the calendar behind the kitchen door, realizing it had been about two months since little Frisk left her home… was she alright? Was she eating correctly? Did she get into trouble?

Toriel calmed herself, knowing it wasn't healthy to break down in tears, not so frequently at least… Well. She should do something today, but what? Her daily routine of going down and chattering with the monster behind the door was a no-go… he told her he was getting busy. When she asked about Frisk, he had told her that he was going to do his best to keep her safe, but… but he sounded quite worried. What was going, she wondered.

Walking outside to the dying tree, Toriel looked at its naked branches which were once full of red leaves. She looked back to the house, her eyes blurring as tears fell, memories of times long gone resurfacing once more.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Toriel**

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"Oh Fluffybuns, look at them… I was worried that the human child would not be able to adjust but… now they're inseparable." Toriel whispered, feeling Asgore's warm hand on her shoulder. "The kid seemed pretty scared at first but now she's calling me father… Toriel, are you sure this is fine? Doesn't she have a family to go to? What if they come looking for her here?" asked Asgore in his gentle voice, his captivating eyes locking unto Toriel's. A warm smile captivated his gaze, followed by that soothing voice of hers, "She cannot go back out there, sweetheart… what they've done to her is abhorrent and she doesn't deserve such treatment. Such a kind and loving girl shouldn't be forced to go back to such an insufferable environment. Besides… She's begun to call me 'mother' as well. I… I think I want to adopt her, Asgore dear."

As the two elder goats talked amongst themselves, Chara and Asriel continued to plant the new seeds. "You know Asriel, I didn't think goats could eat anything other than grass," giggled Chara, looking to her side and finding Asriel with that half blush of his, his hand scratching the back of his head. "I'll have you know, Chara, while vegetables are good for you, my family has a bit of a sweet tooth, hehe~" His voice was sweet, much like everyone around these parts. Everywhere Chara had gone, she was met with either fear or curiosity, and eventually love. It was hard to comprehend at first, but now… she had grown to love the underground. She _loved_ it. She _loved_ everyone. At first, Chara had asked to go back to the surface, but now… why go back? Why go back when she had everything she ever wanted here? She had a brand new spankin' family, a best friend who would never betray her, and she was surrounded by people who came to show her a different side of the world. The world, she thought, was always against her and trying to kill her but… it showed her the love she always craved. As she continued to plant the golden flower seeds alongside Asriel, she contemplated planting the buttercup seeds. It was hard to distinguish the flowers, yes, but after many years of hearing Tara talk about the flowers and their importance, she could distinguish the flowers easily. Should she plant the seeds? Would she ever need the buttercup flower? She wasn't going to be a ninja anymore, and she wasn't going to kill either…

"Sans!" exclaimed Asriel, getting up from the ground and running back towards a short skeleton who wore a white tee and shorts. Chara's thoughts were interrupted by the scene, her red eyes staring at that peculiar monster… she had never seen him before. He seemed so… interesting. Chara perked up, getting up and walking slowly towards them, noticing that Asriel and Sans seemed pretty close.

"what's **boning** on?" asked the skeleton casually, his grin almost sparkling and his eyes casually glancing towards Chara. "Sans! I… um… w-well… um… Sans, this is… well she's…" began Asriel, the white fur underneath his eyes looking as though it had a shade of red underneath. Chara smiled, her red eyes sparkling as she stared at the skeleton with interest. "My name's Chara… Chara the Human." she whispered, holding out her hand and watching as the skeleton looked at her skeptically. " _oh really_? a human? that's **flesh** news." Sans muttered halfheartedly, his smooth hand grasping hers and shaking it, looking away in embarrassment when he noticed the way she seemed to get nervous and how her entire face seemed to turn red. Man, he needed better puns, this was embarrassing.

"Um… W-would you like to play with us? We were planting some flowers," Asriel asked, noticing that Chara seemed to be staring at Sans, her hand still clasped into his. Sans' grin widened, taking back his hand as he shook his head. "Nah Asriel, I told Steamy I was going to hang out with her today,"

Chara gulped, noticing the way Sans seemed peeved and how a blue blush seemed to form when he spoke of this 'Steamy'. She thought she had met everyone in the underground but it looked as though she was mistaken… Not to mention that everyone in the underground was smitten by her, except this monster…

Asgore turned back, watching as Toriel grinned while she held the small baby bones in her arms. "He's adorable, Arial. I cannot believe he will grow as tall as you," cooed Toriel, her eyes staring at the tall skeleton whose white haired wig moved to the slight breeze. "I KNOW! I'M SO GLAD GASTER AND I DECIDED TO HAVE ANOTHER. SANS IS GROWING UP AND I MISS TENDING TO A YOUNGER SKELLY," blushed Arial, turning to Gaster who stared at the children with a serious expression. "…So, the rumors were true… you're harboring a human…" he spoke in a low voice, turning his attention to Asgore who looked surprised whereas Toriel seemed concerned. "Y-yes…" Toriel responded, watching as Gaster seemed pensive. "Hey G… I know you don't… fancy humans but… keep an open mind, please buddy?" asked Asgore, watching as Gaster seemed to force a smile on. "Yes… an open mind." he breathed out, walking towards the children.

"oh, hey dad. are you taking me to steamy's?" asked Sans as Gaster approached them. "…Yes. Say Sans, why don't, uh, we take your friends along? I'm sure Steamy would want to meet the famous human everyone in the RUINS talks about." Gaster responded, picking up Sans and setting him on his shoulders as he looked at the peculiar human who stared back at him with wonder in her eyes. By just observing this human, Gaster could tell she was not like the others. Ever since the war, he was able to distinguish certain humans from others, and she… her evil beady eyes gleamed red and gave off that aura of lust for power. The small insignificant scars on her face told no tales, but her hands… oh, those hands were a treasure trove of details. Ordinary human children had baby smooth skin whereas she… those hands had held weapons no doubt. Just by looking at the way her hand's bone structure had formed he had come to the conclusion that fighting had been instilled in her ever since she was able to walk and talk.

"...dad?" Sans' voice echoed while he looked back to his mother and her friends who stared at them with concern. Gaster looked to the small goat, smiling warmly. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen a human in many years; I apologize for staring so long, little human. You are a very lucky one, you know. Taken in by the royal family and with _such_ a tragic tale… I'm sorry. My name is Dr. W.D. Gaster, and I am the last royal scientist… well… no need to talk about it. How about it, children? Sans and I are going to visit his tutor, Steamy, would you like to come?"

Chara glanced at Toriel, noticing her concern. She turned to the formally dressed skeleton, smiling as he apologized, although… sompething about the way he looked down at her sent chills down her spine. Nonetheless, she smiled, nodding as she turned to Asriel who seemed confused as to what to say. "Y-you want to go?" he asked sheepishly, fiddling with his fingers. "O-okay." he added, smiling as Chara took his hand and followed the tall skeleton, his black cloak floating as the breeze blew once more. "C-Chara! Please be careful… same goes for you, Asriel," Toriel raised her voice, watching as Gaster walked away, waving at Arial with a wink while Sans grinned with his arms in the air. To her side, Arial grinned with that continuous yellow blush on her cheeks, watching as the monster she loved walked off with the three children. "OH TORIEL, ISN'T GASTER DREAMY? I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE TOGETHER AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. IT SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY I WAS SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH HIM. GERSON WOULD ALWAYS SNAP ME BACK TO REALITY EVERYTIME I DAYDREAMED ABOUT HIM." Ariel reminisced, taking the small baby bones back into her arms. Asgore laughed, looking over Toriel as he commented, "I know, he wouldn't stop talking about you either when we went to the school recital."

A soft chuckle escaped Toriel, looking at Arial whose blush deepened. "ITS AMAZING HOW WE'RE ALL STILL TOGETHER. IF GERSON HADN'T TAKEN ME WITH HIM, I'D BE…"

Asgore's smile dropped, looking over to Toriel who also seemed to have turned serious. "…I know…" Toriel exhaled. "If Gerson hadn't taken either of us, we wouldn't be here, bless his soul." Toriel finished her sentence, noticing Asgore's frown. "Yeah. The both of you are lucky. Gaster and I were with our parents in the front lines… err, well, I was at least. Gaster had to be with his parents, and, I don't know what happened, but when after he was rescued, he… he changed a bit. Perhaps Chara can change his view of humans," Asgore hoped, smiling as he looked at Toriel who seemed indecisive. "I don't know, Fluffybun, but what I do know is that Chara is a sweet girl who deserves to be loved,"

Ariel moved her arms from side to side, rocking the snoring toddler in her arms. "WELL MY MOTHER DIED PROTECTING ALL OF US, SO, HUMANS MUST BE GOOD TOO, SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE THEIR **TISSUES** , AND BEHIND ALL THEIR **ISSUES**. CHARA IS STILL A YOUNG HUMAN, SHE CAN BE NOTHING BUT LOVE AND KINDNESS I'M SURE." Ariel spoke as gently as her enthusiastic voice could, looking at Toriel who nodded. "Yes, your mother truly was a kind human, Arial."

Asgore stared at Ariel, tilting his head. "Since we're on subject… how did… um... your mother, how did you monster dad and you human mom… uh…"

Toriel glanced at Asgore, her eyes thinning as she appeared to be mad, but Arial only laughed it off. "NYAH-HAH-HAH! MONSTERS WOULD ASK ME THIS QUESTION ALL THE TIME. I'LL TELL YOU HOW. MAGIC." Ariel winked, laughing some more before adding, "IN ALL HONESTY, I ASKED MY PARENTS THE SAME QUESTION, TO WHICH, THEY REPLIED, 'MAGIC'. SOMETHING ABOUT MY DAD'S MAGIC AND MY MOM'S WOMB INTERACTING, BUT I NEVER REALLY PAID ATTENTION TO THEIR EXPLANATION BECAUSE I WOULD BE GROSSED OUT. IN THE END, I WAS THE RESULT OF A LOVE BETWEEN A MONSTER AND A MONSTER LOVING HUMAN. MY BEAUTIFUL BLOND HAIR EVENTUALLY FELL OFF THE MORE MONSTER LIKE I BECAME AND NOW I'M A FULL GROWN MONSTER. I WAS SCARED WHEN GASTER AND I HAD SANS—I THOUGHT HE WOULD BE BORN JUST LIKE ME, BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, HE WAS BORN A MONSTER, JUST LIKE LITTLE PAPYRUS. NOW I MUST POSE THE QUESTION… HOW IS IT THAT YOU TWO ARE BOSS MONSTERS?" Asked Ariel, noticing the confusion in Toriel's eyes whereas Asgore shrugged. "Well, my father used to say that weird humans would worship us and weird things would happen, which eventually lead to our stronger SOULS. I know he was particularly interested in you being Gerson's apprentice because you were a half monster and he thought you'd be a boss monster too,"

Toriel's legs began to feel fatigued from all the standing, walking towards the tall tree and motioning the two of them to come with her. "Let's sit under the tree," Toriel smiled, letting herself sit on the base of the tree, using it as back support. Ariel followed, continuing to rock her child as she sat on the pasture around the tree. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR MOTHER BROUGHT THE ENTIRE TREE WITH HER UNDERGROUND, BUT I CAN'T COMPLAIN. THE PURPLE FLOWERS I LOVE SO MUCH HITCHED A RIDE ON THE TREE AND THEY LOOK ABSOLUTELY GREAT ON THE LEAVES. HEY TORIEL, DO YOU THINK THAT OUR CHILDREN WILL EVER SEE THE SURFACE? OR OUR GRANDCHILDREN?" asked Toriel, looking up the leaves and watching as a small purple flower fell down, swaying with the wind before drifting off along with the breeze. Asgore smiled patiently while Toriel nodded. "I hope so… Asgore and I wanted to try to have another little child, but if we do… well… I'm hopeful we'll all see the surface together, even if we're old," chuckled Toriel, leaning back unto the tree as Arial grinned with that yellow blush of hers. "WE'RE GOING TO GROW OLD TOGETHER NOW, HUH? IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE YOU'RE STARTING TO AGE, TORY."

Asgore leaned unto Toriel, his head on her shoulders as he looked up to her with a gentle smile. "We'll find a way to get through the barrier, _I promise_ ,"

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

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Underneath the dying tree, Toriel leaned unto it while her hand gently caressed the falling bark, looking to her sides in hopes of seeing Arial and Asgore, but neither were there. Her expectations of a brighter future… her loneliness caused by tragedies, and her fears, those tormenting fears of being alone, of monsters and humans dying…

Toriel let out a heavy sigh, her eyes watching as a tiny purple flower drifted unto her lap, dying much like the tree. "Oh… I haven't seen one of these in _years_ …" she whispered to herself, looking around the tree in hopes of finding other flowers, but it seemed as though this was the only one. It was a shame. Arial absolutely loved these flowers, and they smelled amazing. Out of curiosity, Toriel lifted the flower that was shriveling up, bring it to close to her nose and catching the faint smell of the purple flower. Ah… just like Arial. What would Arial say, if she found her here?

" _STOP CRYING OVER SPILLED MILK AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!"_

Toriel stared at the flower, a small smile overtaking the sad expression she had.

" _YOU LIKE HIM RIGHT? WHO CARES IF HIS DAD WANTS HIM TO MARRY ANOTHER GOAT, GO FOR IT! YOU LOVE HIM RIGHT? GO AFTER HIM AND SHOW HIM YOU'RE_ _ **MAAAAAAADLY**_ _IN LOVE WITH HIM"_

A chuckle escaped Toriel, her right hand wiping away the tears as she continued to stare at the tiny flower. "Arial… you'd want me to go after Frisk, wouldn't you? That poor child could never hurt anyone, but the monsters may want to hurt her, oh, I've been foolish, haven't I?" she muttered under her breath.

" _AW GEEZE, JUST GO AFTER 'EM, ALREADY!"_

The purple flower seemed so delicate in her hand, almost as though it could turn to dust at any moment. Would Arial still be around, she wondered. If she was, would she forgive her for leaving them all? And if she wasn't…

A heavy feeling overwhelmed her chest, the heartache returning at the moment. Oh Arial… What about her children? Oh, what _were_ their names… What a terrible friend she was.

She put the delicate flower into her pouch, getting up from the dying tree. "I must find Frisk…" she whispered to herself, walking back into her abode.

Once inside, went straight to her room, passing the golden flowers she loved so much. Oh Chara… your love for those flowers was contagious. Perhaps she should have a cup of tea to calm and steel her nerves once she was done preparing.

Inside of her room, she gathered a few things and got her long black cloak, putting it on. She couldn't risk getting seen by monsters… what if they knew who she was? What if they told Asgore? She wouldn't be able to see him, not now… perhaps not ever.

Walking back to the kitchen, she got a small slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie along with golden flower tea, taking in the fragrances. Was she really going to do this?

She packed up the remaining pie in a satchel and walked in direction of the door, her body jolting with anxiety. That door…

As she stood in front of the door, thoughts came rushing into her mind. Who would look after the flowers? Who would look after the monsters?

Her hand trembled as the doorknob turned, and her gaze met with the cavern that preceded. There was no turning back now. She locked the door behind her, walking through until she came upon the white snow. Ah… snow… she hadn't felt this in so many years, she had forgotten just how cold it could get in the underground.

The tall dead trees gave her goosebumps. Those trees were still dead after… well…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback-Toriel**

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"TORIEL, COME BACK!" Shouted Arial who ran after the crying goat, waving her bony hands in the air as her red shawl covered her neck and fluttered behind her.

"No, Arial! This is the last straw! I don't care if you love Gaster or not, I just can't believe Asgore was so easily convinced! Chara… And Asriel… They coexisted JUST fine, why can't we try like them! If Gaster proved that it takes one human SOUL to cross the barrier, why can't we go to the surface and gather the rest of the SOULS peacefully? Why must we resort to killing?" Toriel asked as she stood in the middle of the path that led back to the RUINS. Across form her Arial breathed heavily, looking down at the snow. "Y-YOU THINK THAT I WANT THIS TOO? I DON'T TORY, BUT WHAT ARE THE _POSSIBILITIES_ OF US GETTING OUR HANDS ON SIX MORE SOULS? THE HUMANS NEARLY KILLED US ALL EVEN AFTER MY MOTHER…"

Toriel shook her head. "I'm not going to let Asgore become a killer. Don't try to stop me, Arial. I will not return until Asgore realizes the folly of his decision…"

The tall skeleton stared at the crying goat, her usual go-happy expression replaced by sadness. "TORY…" she breathed our, holding up her hand. "PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. WE LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO SEE YOU GO… I… I CAN'T LOSE MY BEST FRIEND."

The unnerving silence after those words tore at Toriel's heart. The heartache in her heart throbbed like vibrations and she stared at the skeleton who had also begun to cry. "PLEASE." Pleaded the skeleton, but Toriel's decision would not budge.

"As long as you're on his side, _we cannot_ be friends," Toriel breathed out coldly, her heart beating fast as she thought of her human child, Chara. The skeleton took a step back, the look of hurt overwhelming Toriel for a moment.

"YOU… CAN'T LEAVE US. PLEASE… I WILL NOT LOSE YOU TOO." begged Arial, her lighted eyes disappearing from her eye sockets and soon replaced by a yellow, golden eye on her right eye. Toriel huffed, clenching her hands as she shook her head. Did Arial think she could bring her back by beating her in battle like when they were children? Just because Arial was better than her at fighting, did she think she could win this argument so easily? "I'm leaving, Arial."

The tension between the two grew, and before Toriel knew it, the skeleton's battle armor appeared on top of her blue dress, and her right leg stepped forward through the high slits on the dress. "PLEASE DON'T DO THIS." she urged once more, her right hand gripping the slender bone that appeared in the shape of a pole, with a sharpened bone at the top. Her naginata (A naginata is a wooden pole with a curved single-edged blade on the end, like Guan Yu's legendary weapon back in the romance era) … so, Arial was serious about this. Well… Toriel was also serious.

The skeleton took a step forward, her hand clenching the naginata and as Toriel's hands glowed red. "I will not be stopped, Arial. I'm going back to the RUINS until you all realize the folly of this… _this mistake_!" she shouted, her right hand sweeping the space in front of her. On cue, a barrage of flames appeared and were sent flying in the sweeping motion, several flying out towards the woods while most of them flew in in Arial's general direction, all zig-zagging.

Arial's yellow eye noticed the few stray flames, realizing that Toriel wasn't concentrating enough on her fighting. At this rate, the woods would catch fire… Without thinking on the woods so much, Arial's yellow eye flickered and she moved with ease, dodging all the attacks and using her naginata to stop the fireballs that seemed to go in the direction of the woods.

Toriel took a step back, sweeping her hands fast and creating as many fireballs as she could when she realized Arial was faster and dodged every single one of them. She would not let herself be defeated so easily… with just one sweep of Arial's naginata, she knew she'd be defeated and brought back to the throne room. She could not let that happen… her decision was firm. As she continued to take steps back, she realized that Arial seemed to be focusing on the stray fireballs, and then she realized… her escape plan. "I'm sorry, Arial…" she whispered, sending a streams of fireballs though as to block her from reaching the stray fireballs. She watched as the monster stood in the area, her naginata taking all the hits while she was surrounded by the two streams of fireballs that surrounded her inside a circled area. "NYAH…HAH…HAH… I'M STUCK INSIDE A **FIREWALL.** …TORY, PLEASE… DON'T LEAVE US."

Sweat ran down her white fur as she breathed heavily, the woods surrounding the path catching fire and going ablaze. There was no turning back now. She continued to back away, her eyes focusing on the two streams as they continuously surrounded Arial, both of them multiplying and creating a fire barricade so as to keep Arial inside. Even so… Arial wasn't fighting back. Toriel knew Arial wasn't fighting her at her best… otherwise she'd be in the throne room by now, figuratively speaking. She knew that Arial could probably summon up her bone shield and run through the circle of fire, or that she could have easily jumped out earlier, used bones to cage her or to block her path. The possibilities were endless, but instead, Ariel stood patiently inside the fire, watching through a few openings as Toriel backed away into the cave's darkness, her figure becoming a shadow.

Inside the fire, Arial began to hyperventilate, dropping her naginata. "T-T-TORY! WHY DID THE SKELETON WANT A FRIEND?!" She screamed at the top of what used to be lungs, noticing the shadow stopped. "…BECAUSE SHE WAS FEELING **BONELY**!"

Toriel smiled, tears streaming when she heard the pun. This was how they became friends so long ago. Poor Arial had been an outcast, and when Toriel had shown her kindness, this was what Arial came up with. That pun, that joke…

The fire stopped, and all that was left was the two raging fires on both sides of the woods along with a lonely skeleton who could only cry in place. "PLEASE COME BACK SOMEDAY…" she begged, feeling the heat of the fires but continuing to stand there idly, the warmth comforting her **bonely** heart.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

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The forest full of dead trees came to end, probably where Arial decided to block further spread of the fire. It couldn't be helped… after getting burned by her fire, the trees were bound to be dead after so long, and the cold probably didn't help.

The abandoned puzzles were easy enough for her, and as she got closer to Snowdin, she realized just how much things seemed to be the same. Sure, the dog who created sculptures was new, and a lot of the monsters she passed by were also new, but she thought she recognized two older dogs with hoodies. They seemed so… in love. Ah. The 98' Nuzzle Championship… were they the two small pups who won second place? Wow. That was so long ago, and they're still alive! And they didn't seem too elderly, which meant that perhaps Arial could also be still alive… of course aging varied differently for different types of monsters and their DETERMINATION. Still… it kept her hopes up.

Passing the Snowdin sign, came to a stop at the shop. Was Carlita still here? She wondered. Stepping inside, she saw a rabbit standing there and as she approached, she realized this was not Carlita. "Hello traveler, how can I help you?" she asked. Toriel looked down, her hoodie shadowing most of her appearance. "Hello. Would you happen to know where Carlita is?" she asked, noticing the way the rabbit perked up. "My great grandmother? No, she died a _very long_ time ago. Why are you asking for her? Who are you?" she asked, sounding almost agitated. Toriel sighed softly, shaking her head. "I'm terribly sorry… I... wait. Do you happen to know where I can find Arial? Captain of the Royal guard?" asked Toriel, noticing that the rabbit seemed a bit confused. "Arial? You mean the _former_ captain? Wow, I haven't heard that name in forever, not since I was a wee baby. Wow… I don't think anyone really remembers her nowadays, not with Undyne and Mettaton. Probably the older folk do," chuckled the rabbit, her elbow on the counter as she rested her head on her hand. Her grandmother would always drag on about The Amazing Arial and how awesome she was in her show, although that show stopped airing sometime in her youth and lamented that monsters were forgetting about her. "Why are you asking for dead people? What, did you live under a rock? I've never seen you before, and you don't look human either,"

Toriel's heart sank, her knees trembling as she stepped forward, her hands grasping the counter as she tried to keep her footing. "N-no…" she whispered, tears once more flowing and hitting the counter with soft 'split splats'. The rabbit was surprised, leaning back as the cloaked figure sobbed gently to itself, wetting the counter. Did she _know_ them? That was impossible… then again, Gerson was still kicking.

"How long ago did they die?" asked the figure softly, which furthered the rabbit's curiosity. "How long ago? Eh… well… I know my great grandmother died around the year 201'505, and Arial… hm… I think my grandmother said the year 201'269. I'm surprised I remembered, but my family were a bunch of fans," chuckled the rabbit, but the figure seemed at a loss for words, instead stumbling back falling down on its rear, the hoodie revealing what looked to be a goat. Huh. That was different, it certain didn't look like Asgore but it was certainly a goat. Wait…

"Wait a minute… My grandmother talked about the Queen. You're her, aren't you?" gasped the rabbit, going to her aid and helping her to her feet. She seemed under a lot of distress by the news, sobbing loudly as her head fell onto the shoulder of the rabbit. "Why?" she cried, looking at the confused rabbit. " _How_ did Arial die young?"

The rabbit stared at the pleading eyes, trying to recall what her mother would say about that old idol. "Huh, well… um... Arial was killed by one of the children that passed by, an older looking kid with a 'gun'. I remember because my mother would not shut up about 'Frontier Justice' this and that. She said that Arial was caught in the crossfire between the kid and another monster."

Toriel's breath hitched, shaking her head. "That's impossible… Arial could dodge _anything_. And if there was something she couldn't dodge, she had her shields and… I don't understand. What was she trying to do?" asked the weeping goat. The rabbit in turn shrugged. "All I know is that Arial sympathized with the humans. She would come to their rescue when they nearly died, and she'd take them in to get healed, but uh, none of 'em ever made it. Humans can be pretty frail once they're sick or injured, I've heard. That Frontier Justice kid really was the most interesting one. According to my family, he'd spare girls and kids, but he'd kill any monster who would put up a fight or stood in his way. He left quite a trail of dust, I hear. Family of the deceased monsters came to pick fights with him, but Arial would always come to his aid and stop the fight all together. My grandmother once said that the Frontier Kid and Arial were actually friends, and that Arial would spend a lot of time with this particular kid. She said that her mother, my great grandmother, saw the two as being particularly close… so close that rumors spread about the human becoming her second apprentice. It was so unheard of… a human being a part of the royal guard! Not that he really became a part of the royal guard, no, they both died before anyone could prove the rumors to be true or false."

Toriel listened, carefully analyzing everything that was said to her. "My child with the 'revolver' he called. Yes… I remember him. He was a sweet child, really feisty, but sweet. He was such a gentleman, always taking care of me." Toriel whispered, shaking her head. "…he killed _my_ Arial? You said she got caught in the crossfire. What happened?"

The rabbit bit her lip, thinking back to her conversations with her grandmother. "According to my great grandmother's account, there was a Dummy who wanted to challenge the human, but the human would refuse because he did not want to waste his bullets on a dummy. The Dummy became angry, but before he could challenge the kid, Undyne interrupted them and challenged the human to a battle to the death. My great grandmother speculated that Undyne was jealous of the human because Arial was spending more time with him than her, and that perhaps she was afraid of being replaced. Nonetheless, Undyne was left permanently scarred, and the Angry Dummy's challenge was accepted when he yelled something about a yellow stomach, or… yellow… eh…"

Toriel's eyes lit up. "Yellow belly." she whispered, noticing that the rabbit agreed with a nod. "Yeah, that. What's a yellow belly?" asked the Rabbit, noticing that Toriel had begun to calm down.

"Ah, a yellow belly… he explained to me that on the surface, humans were fighting amongst themselves now. His mother and father were of different races, I believe he said. His father's side was from the east, where 'white' humans lived alongside other humans of similar tone. Here in the west, humans of darker shades are more predominant, and because they're at war, a 'yellow belly' is a derogatory term which alludes to skin color I believe? The bottom line, a 'yellow belly' is worse than being called a coward in his point of view due to his heritage."

The rabbit seemed a bit confused, but got the gist of the explanation. "Wow, humans are the worst. How could Arial defend those things," the rabbit muttered, helping the goat to her feet. Toriel shook her head as she stood up. "They're not _all_ bad. We can't judge them, they're scared, just like we're scared of them. But I think the humans have begun get paranoid about each other to the point of waging wars against one another… I do worry… Ah! Tell me, good rabbit, have you seen a human around here lately? A small girl named Frisk?" asked Toriel, her hands grasping the rabbit's paws and staring her down. The rabbit leaned back, taking her paws back as she nodded. "Yeah, the kid. She just had a birthday party yesterday, but you missed her. She's gone off to 'break the barrier somehow', she said. But before you leave, why did you disappear? Where were you? No one remembers the queen, but my family is obsessed about idols and celebrities. Why the secrecy?"

The goat woman sighed, looking down on the floor with a sad expression. "Asgore… when we found out we needed the power of seven human SOULS, he decided to kill all the humans who fell down because of what happened to our son and daughter... He would not go to the surface and retrieve the rest of the SOULS peacefully and I… I couldn't accept it. Gaster had been experimenting but that was the last straw… his demented hate for humans had gone too far,"

The rabbit tilted her head in confusion. "Gaster…? Who was he? You mean the former royal scientist?" asked the rabbit, walking towards the back of the store and motioning Toriel to follow her. Toriel sniffled, following the rabbit and sitting on the couch next to the rabbit. "Yes… is he dead too?" asked Toriel, noticing that the rabbit seemed at a total loss. "I guess so… no one actually knew him to be honest. No one in the underground knew him, but King Asgore spoke of him fondly, so my family would speak of the royal scientist mystery. We knew he experimented a lot, I guess? And we knew that the core was built by him… I suppose? We wouldn't be living so comfortably down here in the underground if it wasn't for him, right?" asked the rabbit, hoping that Toriel would shed light.

In silence, Toriel seemed confused by her words.

…who _WAS_ Gaster?

Toriel's head begun to throb with immense pain, shaking her head as she tried hard to remember Gaster. She knew him… but… she didn't know him? Why was she able to remember him just fine in her memories with Arial, but not about him specifically…?

*********°*********•*********°*********

In the corner of the room, the dark shadow stared at the pained goat, watching as she seemed just as confused as the rabbit. "Hoho… you vaguely remember me, huh? I suppose Arial had that effect on people," spoke Gaster to himself with his electronic voice, approaching the two individuals as he inspected the goat mother further. She had indeed not changed in the many centuries that had passed, still eternally young unlike his other failure specimens. To be eternal, and yet be amongst the living… he envied her greatly. People may not recognize her, but this rabbit knew who she was from the memories of her ancestors.

Only Asgore and Sans could truly remember him, and it was only Asgore who kept his memory alive. Perhaps Arial's death had sent him over the edge, but he stood firmly to his advances in science. Leaving the two talking women alone, Gaster floated through the walls and went outside, spotting the two dog lovers who made their way to Grillby's.

Ah. Specimen D-034 and D-035. Getting progressively old it seems. Failures.

The more he floated around the small town, the more agitated he became. Failures! They were all failures! Even Sans was a failure! The child he created with the love of his life had the power to eliminate the human but instead he kept his ignorant promise with the goat. That human loving goat.

The more he thought of humans, the more Arial came to his mind and both anger and despair enveloped him. How could he fault Sans when it was _he_ that fell in love with a half monster. A half human monster. A… beautiful and kind-hearted half human monster.

Floating through the town, Gaster came to a stop in front of his sons' house. Ah… the home Sans had designed for them when they would have moved out of the Core.

" _WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE YOU'VE DRAWN, SANS!" exclaimed Arial with glee in her voice._

Gaster winced at the memory, looking down at the snow. Sans had drawn a house around the time Chara had been here underground. That was so long ago…

" _OH MY, YOU'RE QUITE THE ARCHITECT! WE CAN BUILD THIS HOUSE TOGETHER ON THE SURFACE, NYAH HAH HAH~"_

Gaster breathed in, closing his eyes as he remembered fondly on that moment. Sans had been determined about getting to the surface, so determined that he had drawn the blue prints for the house he had drawn so many years ago.

" _hey dad, let's read this book! quantum physics for beginners; i found lying around in your office."_

Gaster's eyes opened as he stared at the house. Sans back then… he used to cling around him so much, didn't he?

" _pretty please! i won't stop saying_ _ **puns**_ _as_ _ **punishment**_ _if you don't."_

His head fell down, his eyes narrowing with disgust as he groaned. Why did he remember _that_ line. But… Sans sure did love him, didn't he? As he grew up, he wanted to be just like him, he dressed like him, and he'd be excited about going to the labs…

" _hey_ _ **g**_ _,_ _ **letter**_ _get moving or, well, momster will be mad and_ _ **gee**_ _, we wouldn't want that, right?"_

The monster shuddered in his big black cloak, the hollow hole in his right palm placed on his temple as he shook his head. "What terribly ill memories you gave me of your love, Sans," groaned the electronic monster voice, chuckling afterwards as he remembered the blue blush on that little child with his exuberant smile.

" _i have the best_ _ **dadster**_ _and_ _ **momster**_ _in the world!" shouted Sans on top of Gaster's shoulders with his hands in the air, grinning and blushing with delight._

A long sigh escaped the looming shadow, watching over the house as he remembered the way he'd hold Sans in his arms and throw in in the air… the way they'd read scientific literature together. It was… endearing to believe that, that was once Sans. That happy skelly had once been the Sans he looked after now.

His fond memories were soon interrupted by a loud obnoxious laughter. A familiar, loud, obnoxious laughter. "NYEH HEH HEH! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD NOW! FAME! FRIENDS! RESPECT! EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED! AND WITH FRISK, NOW I HAVE A FAMILY ONCE MORE! NYAH HAH HAH, I'M SO HAPPY! COME HERE, DOG!"

Gaster turned in direction of Papyrus, a purple fluster filling the entirety of his face when instead of Papyrus he saw Arial in that same exact pose, her right hand on her hip and her left hand on her chin, grinning with that yellow blush. That red shawl of hers tied around the white collared fur, and fluttering with the wind along with that pure white wig she wore and the scent of violets. That amazing woman was gone forever…

As his thoughts drifted to Arial, Papyrus grabbed the nearest dog and hugged it, orange colored tears falling as he sobbed with happiness. "YES, YES, YES! I FINALLY DID IT, MOTHER!"

" _YES! YES, YES, YES, YES! A MILLION TIMES, YES! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, GASTER," cried Arial as she embraced him, the scent of violets wrapped the both of them as they held each other under the star lit night, the waning moon lighting their expressions. As they let go, Arial blushed, turning around and moving the white hairs, a few remaining strands of her yellow hair remaining and visible while he put the silver locket around her neck._

"YOU WOULD BE SO PROUD OF US, WOULDN'T YOU? WE'RE BREAKING THE BARRIER WITH THE HELP OF HUMANS. WE'LL ALL LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER," Papyrus cried unto the fluffy white of the dog who stared into the horizon with confusion, but nonetheless finding this cuddle agreeable.

A frown appeared on Gaster's expression, looking over the tall and foolish son of his. "I can't believe you too, were a failure… I had so much hope and dreams for you, Papyrus. I… You are the exact image of your mother, I suppose. You're not a failure… you're just… special." lamented Gaster as he began to float in his direction, stopping when he was in front of Papyrus who cried into the dog's fur. His hollow hand extended unto the top of the skeleton's head, patting it softly before floating away in the direction of the marshes, leaving behind Papyrus who continued to cry, his happiness turning into sudden sorrow and his head feeling as though it had been patted _by his father_.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"sup, alphys,"

Alphys jumped up, looking behind her and finding Sans standing there with his usual smile, a few sweat drops forming and his chest moving as though he had been in a hurry not long ago. "Hey Sans… you know, you never talk about your mom or dad,"

Sans froze in place, staring at Alphys who happily picked up a paper and brought it to his face. "It's so adorable," she giggled, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she looked at the drawing.

Sans' smile dropped, staring at the old picture he had drawn for his father. "…i hate him…" he muttered softly, his eye sockets furrowing down as he stared at the image. The world around him stopped existing for that one moment, his old drawing taunting him with feelings he could no longer feel.

Looming over him was the dark shadow, tall and looking down at him with a frown. "…Sans…" whispered the electronic voice, his hand coming down to towards his shoulder when all of a sudden the short skeleton moved his body forward, snatching the drawing and crumbling it before throwing it towards the trash. Gaster flinched, his eyes widening as his frown turned into an 'o'.

Alphys' body jolted, moving back and watching as Sans walked towards the spot he had been working on earlier before he had left. "…sorry alphys, i just… i left that life behind me. it _never_ existed,"

The yellow dinosaur walked towards the trash, picking up the crumbled up ball of paper and straightening it out, looking over the drawing with a frown. "I-I see… I'm sorry I showed you this then…" she apologized, glancing over the drawing one last time.

Gaster floated to Alphys, looking over her shoulder and staring at the drawing. Sans had been approximately five years in skeleton years, and Chara had yet to fall into the underground when he drew it. It had been sketch of the family, with 'Dadster' in his usual black lab cloak and white scarf tucked into his black blouse, 'Momster' in her signature blue dress, red shawl, and purple flower headband, 'Paps' as a small baby bones dressed in an orange shirt and blue overalls, and 'Rex' as the family dog they had taken in around the time Sans had been born. All four of the carefully sketched family members sat on the long green couch while Sans sat on the floor holding up a physics book with that grin on his face and the caption on the bottom of the sketch saying: 'world's best family! –love sans'.

Alphys folded the drawing, putting it inside the pockets of her lab coat. "At least you had a family…" Alphy murmured to herself, looking at the trash can as she shook her head. Beside her, Gaster had let out a long and heavy sigh. "It never existed, huh? Is that really how you feel, my son?" he asked himself, noticing that Alphys had silently begun to cry, moving to the other side of the archives and continuing to organize the files, sniffling softly as she did. "…you don't remember _your_ family, right? You don't even remember me, your master," Gaster breathed out, remembering a younger Alphys who would help him out in the lab much like Sans used to, in the evenings much after Sans had left. Sure, she was not as fast as Sans was, but she was of use nonetheless—filing and organizing. He felt bad for her, watching her all this time and through different timelines, watching her stumble and deal with the crippling anxiety and depression that came with the line of work. She was not a DaFont (idk, name of ghoul race with fonts) monster, so it was understandable that she would be susceptible to doubting her work and her actions. Unlike his race and family… Alphys was just a regular scientist, nowhere nearly as good as the worst DaFont scientist.

Gaster floated towards Sans, noticing that from behind his head, he appeared to be like one of his own race, a DaFont ghoul. The short skeleton turned his head, looking back towards Alphys and looked down with a frown of his own before turning back to his work.

"You look more like Roman than me… Dr. T. N. Roman, Arial's mediocre father… I'm glad he fell in love with that human. As much as I hate them… Arial was special. She was so worried about you being born a human just like her, she was scared that you'd be an outcast and that'd you suffer through the teenage phase of transition like she did, when she turned into a monster…" Gaster whispered, floating around Sans who seemed focus on organizing the data concerning the infrastructure of the CORE. Much like Dr. Roman, Sans tapped his foot and began to hum to himself—a habit he learned from Arial, no doubt. "Do you really hate me that much, my son? I may have gone overboard with a few of the experiments…" Gaster asked, watching as Sans carried on while the phantom shadow that no one could see stared at him work.

"…if Arial knew about everything though…" a soft chuckle escaped Gaster, shaking his head. "She'd never forgive me and her scorn would know no boundaries, I'm sure… she's scream at me for experimenting on our children,"

From behind Gaster, a bright light began to manifest in his plane, the angel woman taking form and chuckling as she shook her head. "Then why did you do it?" she asked, watching as the phantom turned to her with surprise in his dimly lit purple eyes. "Oh… you again. Don't you tire of pestering me, human?" asked Gaster with an indifferent tone, his electric voice echoing in the silent plane of existence.

Florencia smiled, shrugging as she walked towards Sans, her delicate hands running through the smooth jaw and cheeks, almost as though she were inspecting him. "Sans didn't use to look like this, did he?" she asked, turning her head and noticing the bewildered expression of Gaster. "…humans are nothing but demon-spawns; you're just pretending to be something you're not." he hissed, extending his hand out and watching as several hands appeared, all surrounding Florencia and hitting her with several different colored beams of light.

Florencia only smiled, putting her right hand over her chest and watching as a blue bubble surrounded her, absorbing all of the light beams. "…a little girl is out there fighting against a demon's control for the sake of both humans _and_ monsters, and all that you can think is that humans are evil? Don't you realize that she's your only hope of stopping Chara?" asked Florencia patiently, noticing that Gaster's irritation had only grown.

"Only hope? I think not! I _allowed_ you to materialize only because I need to keep that human SOUL away from Chara's possession, not because I trust either of you," he snarled, floating in front of Sans who seemed focused on his organizing skills. "I have seen all the different timelines up to this point, but somehow your manifestation keeps this timeline fresh. You're a wild card, Florence… but just what I needed to keep Chara from winning so easily."

Florencia's wings began to flap slowly, floating closer to Gaster until she was beside him against his will. "This isn't right, _Skelly Dad_."

There was a momentary pause, a moment of absolute shock that overwhelmed Gaster. He turned, staring at the angelic creature with a puzzled look, his electronic voice trying to piece together words but he was at a total loss. _"How do you know those words…"_ he thought to himself.

Florencia smiled kindly, her hands gently patting the top of Sans' head before she placed a gently kiss on the very top and disappearing in small burst of light, leaving behind an overwhelmingly shocked Gaster.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The blue spears shot up from the wooden planks, and all that Frisk could do was take a step back and hope this wasn't a dead end. She ran as fast as she could when she saw the opportunity, glancing down at the ground and making sure a blue circle of light didn't appear in her way. **"She's trying to kill you,"** Chara repeated herself, knowing that Frisk was getting tired of running into dead ends. "I know… I know, but I don't want to fight her _or die_ ," Frisk spoke back aloud, jumping back and missing a spear in the nick of time. **"It sucks to die, amiright?"** chuckled Chara, watching as Frisk stumbled but quickly crawled out of the blue light's way. Frisk was surely persistent, Chara gave her that.

Finally, there were in an open space, and Frisk could see the exit up head. Thank goodness! She ran as fast as she could in her ballerina shoes, her agile feet skipping over a blue light that appeared and twirling to the left when another appeared. Frisk giggled, feeling the shoes work their magic on her feet which had longed to dance after so many months of being underground without her dancing shoes. It was such a peculiar find, finding these ballerina shoes. Sure, they were slightly big, but she cushioned the inside of the shoe just enough to feel right. Did monsters wear ballerina shoes and tutus?

"… **they belonged to a human girl who fell down, just like you."**

Frisk came to a stop at the dead end and gulped, looking back and seeing the tall full armored monster walking slowly with a spear in its hands. Without anywhere else to go, Frisk slowly walked back, fear beating against her ribcage _._ **"Another… human girl…?"** Frisk asked inside her head, her fear increasing when she realized what that meant. **"Yeah, one of the six SOULS the monsters captured. How many times do you have to die to realize that they'll never stop killing you?"**

Frisk trembled with fear, looking into the helmet with pleading eyes. She didn't want to die again… she could still feel the spears piercing right through her and the pain of it all. Chara was right… even if she could come back, she didn't want to die and feel it all again.

Behind her helmet, Undyne stared at the human child and for a moment, Arial's voice once more began to lecture her. _"UNDYNE, A TRUE HERO DOESN'T CORNER A WEAPONLESS OPPONENT. IT'S FINE TO CHASE THEM AROUND, BUT ONCE THEY'RE CORNERED, IT ISN'T FAIR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO FIGHT BACK. SLAYING THEM ISN'T BEING A HERO. IT'S CALLED BEING A DIRTY COWARD." Arial scowled, helping the human up to his feet. "Darn tootin' Miss Arial. Mighty big thanks for helping me back there… I forgot I left my revolver on the river bank before I took a dip in the water. This lady seems mighty pissed 'bout something," chuckled the cowboy, shivering as his wet body felt the cavern's routine winds_.

Anger swelled up inside Undyne who gritted her teeth. Spears came down on the wooden planks with enough force to break off the piece of boardwalk where the human stood in, watching her fall with surprise in her eyes, her hands holding out as she fell down. Tch. Undyne sighed, shaking her head as she breathed in. Why did Arial's lectures torment her at the worst of times? She could have destroyed the human and taken her SOUL right then and there. Now she had to search for the corpse somewhere in the dump.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk felt the rush of air around her, followed by her body hitting the ground—not as hard as she expected, but she nonetheless passed out from the fright of nearly dying… again. Chara stood beside her in her black misty form, contemplating whether she should try controlling her body once more. Well… what did she have to lose?

Once inside Frisk's body, Chara opened her eyes and her heart dropped, staring at the hole in the ceiling and the cave around her. She tried getting up, but instead she rolled over, her back burning with an intense pain, her hands gripping the solid earth beneath her palms. "H-help me!" she cried out subconsciously, tears running down her cheeks and for a moment she didn't know what was going on. What the hell…? Did she go back in time?

"It sounds like it came from over here…" whispered a familiar voice followed by a familiar shadow who approached cautiously. "Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you?" he had asked softly, his face becoming clearer as he got closer. "Are you okay?"

Chara stared at him bewildered. "Don't _touch_ me!" she hissed, getting up despite the pain and gripping her knife and flowers. She began to walk towards him, grinding her teeth. This felt so real… did she really travel back in time? That seemed impossible… But if she did, well… she could start her adventure differently this time.

Asriel stood there with a confused expression, frowning as he opened his arms out for her—different from their original meeting. Chara was perplexed, but she nonetheless continued to fight the pain inching closer to Asriel as she dropped the flowers and gripped her knife, bringing it up as she tried to cut him but instead she fumbled and fell unto him. He chuckled gently, holding unto her as his hand took the knife and threw it aside. "You're not the person I thought you were. You were only using me, weren't you, Chara? My family and I never meant anything to you, did we?" He asked with a husky voice, his grip tightening as he picked her up, and immediately she realized he wasn't the Asriel from so many years ago. This Asriel seemed older, his cyan blue eyes replaced by the color red and horns growing from his head, fangs protruding from his wicked smile.

"A-Asriel?" whispered Chara, crying in pain as his grip around her hurting body tightened even more. "Yeah… it's me, your _best friend_ … A..S..R..I..E..L.. D..R..E..E..M..U..R..R.."

His voice sounded almost as demonic as hers when he said his name, his embrace crushing her bones and suffocating her. With one simple pulse of his embrace, Chara passed out and opened her eyes back into reality, staring at Frisk who laid peacefully on the flower bed.

Frisk who had passed out, opened her eyes and found herself in the same exact spot she had been when she fell underground. Her vision was blurry, and everything about her body hurt. She was crying, pleading out to the darkness around her, "S-Somebody! Please h-help me!" Her whimper echoed in the darkness, and from it she could hear very light footsteps.

"It sounds like it came from over here…" whispered a gentle voice, a voice she had never heard before.

Frisk tried smiling in between the pain. "P-please help me… it hurts…"

In the darkness, the shadow stopped walking towards her, almost as though he was inspecting her. "Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you?"

With a nod, Frisk agreed, her body aching badly, her vision blurry as the shadow got near her, his head staring down at her and tilting his head. "Here, get up." he said, helping her to her feet, but her body for some strange reason felt like it couldn't move on its own. Her arm was placed around the Shadow's shoulder, her head trying to focus on the creature but she could not see anything other than a shadowy figure. "T-thank you… My name is… uh…"

Frisk's train of thought paused for a moment, and the shadowy figure seemed to have picked up on it, staring at her with a puzzled look. Her head had begun to ache, and it felt as if she was forgetting something very important to her, something that she shouldn't have forgotten. What was her name? Her _real_ name? Had it always been Frisk? It felt as though Frisk wasn't her real name for some reason…

"…Frisk?" she whispered with a questionable tone.

"…Frisk, huh? That's a nice name. My name is..."

There it was again. That horrible pain in her head, that seemed to be trigger by the words 'My name is'. Her head seemed to be hurting a lot when it came to remembering things about her past, but why was it hurting now? Was it important, like this feeling in her chest? Whatever it was, the pain seemed so overwhelming that her body had become limp, her ears unable to hear his name, her eyes closing and everything turning white.

She opened her eyes and her ears could once more pick up noises. Water. Waterfalls!

She sat up and she saw Chara's figure sitting on the edge of what remained of the boardwalk, looking rather paler than the usual. "Frisk… you're up. You've been out for a while now… Let's get out of here."

With a nod, Frisk treaded through the water, noticing all the garbage in the water. This was bad, her mama had told her that this was very bad to the environment. She said that trash should float away, far away and that animals would eat it, or be harmed by it. …Is this where all the trash in the ocean floated to…? She could see so many things from the surface… Like that bicycle, and those names, they looked so familiar.

As they walked through the heaps of trash, every now and then she'd see something that would catch her attention and Chara would give a long sigh until she disappeared altogether after a while. "S-Selena!" Frisk exclaimed, running to a garbage pile where a familiar cassette caught her absolute attention. She grabbed the delicate cassette cover, her heart beating fast as flashes of memories came back to her. Her momma had loved this singer to death! She could see the reason why it was here… the cassette cover was cracked and the cassette itself looked badly worn, probably from continuous playbacks, not to mention that the film itself was broken at some point. She stared at the image of the tex-mex icon which reminded her greatly of her mother; everything her mother was, was influenced by this idol. Frisk smiled to herself, holding the cassette close to her heart—it was the only thing she had that reminded her of her mother, they looked quite similar. She giggled as she recalled her attempts at singing karaoke… she was _not_ a singer at all. All her dance moves were inspired by her, and she _was_ a dancer, just not a singer.

Taking the cassette with her and putting it in her jean's pocket, she continued on quite content with her find, stumbling upon an ice chest. Hm…

Opening it up, she saw two bars and realized that they were unopened… Hmm… Well, her mama would say, if it's closed, its good, so she took it with her. She wasn't so hungry right now, so they were good for the long trip ahead of her. Grooving on ahead, she passed a training dummy, smiling to herself as she remembered her first day with Toriel. She missed Toriel… but she never seemed to pick up her phone.

As she walked towards what seemed to be an exit, a sudden dramatic sound began to play and she turned around, her eyes widening as she saw the training dummy fly—fly! And he flew to her seemingly mad.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Beside a garbage heap, the dark looming shadow watched her, staring at the red SOUL that popped out of her chest. That red SOUL… it looked just like Chara's red SOUL. Mmhm… "Is this why you're controlling her…? What does this child have that the others didn't…" he asked himself, watching the girl twirl around the battle arena while the black mist watched not far off. He could not figure out how it was that Chara worked or what her motives were other than killing everything in her path. Surely there was something about Chara that he could use to his advantage… after watching her in the various timelines, he knew that she caused this new human misfortune everywhere she went, including the surface when the child had left the underground in search of her father. Whatever happened on the surface… whatever Chara caused, it created a hole in the child's willpower to refuse Chara and ever since, Chara had been tearing at her fears and insecurities, until she had absolutely power and control over the human. In the last timeline… Chara had won against his son. It was infuriating that Chara had cheated her way into killing his son, and he knew that after so many attempts she'd finally kill him like she killed everyone else. It was only logical. "I had to do something…" Gaster breathed out, watching as Napstablook appeared and saved the human from being locked in an eternal fight with the Mad Dummy.

A tinge of pain hit Gaster when he realized that not far off, Arial had died because this monster thought it'd be a grand idea to move around. Perhaps if that blasted ghost hadn't challenged the cowboy human, Arial might have still be alive today. Had her death been avoided… so many mistakes on his part after her death would have been avoided. He began to float towards the human who followed the ghost, stopping when he noticed that familiar angel standing near him, her arms crossed as she stared at him. "Vamos, Gaster… (come on, Gaster) We have to work together. If Chara wins, _both_ our worlds will die," pleaded the angel, watching as the irritated ghoul only floated past her. "Away with you, _demon_. I don't know how you seem to know so much about the past, but I will not help you or humanity any time soon," he snarled, his black cloak floating up and stretching into darkness as a means of keeping that blasted woman away from him.

It had been a terrible idea, but he _had_ it do it. That woman appeared long ago when the human fell down. Sure, she was just an ordinary human spirit stuck in this dimension because she would not 'move on'. From what she had told him previously when he first noticed her, it seems that her SOUL had been bent on protecting her child and by doing so, she somehow managed to merge the remaining SOUL with her daughter's thereby being able to bypass the usual human spirit realm and enter his realm where only fragments of someone who once existed remain. It had been a nice change of pace… it was nice to know someone else no longer existed and was able to talk to him and know he still existed. But now… all that woman does is continuously nag. She's more obnoxious than Arial when she would have her fits of never ending nagging! And yet… he'd stand her nagging everyday if he could do it.

Before, her nagging was bearable but ever since he helped her materialize in the reality, she had gotten worse—worse yet, she had begun to say things that he knew she didn't know before. She also seemed to be acting slightly different around his son, Sans. Sure, she was glad that someone was looking out for her daughter, but she had taken special interest in Sans, probably because she knew of his power. It had been a terribly idea, letting Florencia gain the power to materialize in the real world, but at least she was able to do it, unlike him.

He sighed, losing interest in the human as he began to float back towards the marshes, back to his room where he could rest from today's events. From behind, Florencia watched him leave whilst shaking her head. She needed to help Sans in any way she could… if only Gaster would cooperate.

*********°*********•*********°*********

A smile appeared on Toriel as she embraced the rabbit. "Thank you for listening to me, and for helping me, Jody. I never things could change so much in the underground,"

The rabbit nodded with a smile. "It's my pleasure, Queen Toriel. I'm sure my family will be quite envious in the end when they find out I met personally with the Queen and had quite the conversation with her. …You will go back to the throne… right?" asked Jody, noticing the frown on her expression. "I don't think… I don't think so. I'm going to help my child, once I find her. I'm going to protect her until the end," Toriel replied with teary eyes, putting on her cloak's hoodie. "Ah… well in that case, I wish you the best of luck. That human is sweet… says she wants to break the barrier for us, but who knows. I don't think I'll ever forget that kid, she's going to break the barrier _one way_ or another."

Toriel's expression turned grim, leaving with a solemn nod as she exited the shop.

The rest of the day dragged on, with Frisk nowhere to be seen. She had gone to the marshes and heard that Frisk had been seen back at Grillby's, and then that she was back in the marshes. She had searched as much and as fast as she could, but she could not see Frisk anywhere. It was getting pretty late, and Toriel was exhausted, so she returned to Snowdin.

Then… she saw him.

The tall skeleton with a red scarf seemed worried, talking into his phone. "…I'M WORRIED ABOUT HER. I'M GOING TO GO HOME AND WAIT FOR YOU TWO HERE SO YOU CAN READ ME MY BED TIME STORY."

Toriel walked casually towards the trees, hiding as she stared at the skeleton. He looked almost identical to Arial… but he looked so young! Was this Arial's grandson? Great grandson? She watched the skeleton walk towards a house and go inside.

Toriel walked out from the shadows of the trees surrounding Snowdin, staring at the house with amazement. Well… at least some part of Arial was still alive in the underground, but it was too bad she could not reveal herself. She wanted to hug the skeleton so badly, but if she did… they would ask why.

Going back towards the beginning of Snowdin, Toriel entered the Inn. She paid the innkeeper kindly and went upstairs, her ears hurting as she laid down on the bed, listening to the snores next door. Asgore used to snore…

… Toriel blushed, closing her eyes as she began to drift into sleep from exhaustion of today's adventure.

*********°*********•*********°*********

In Papyrus' home, Papyrus sat in the couch, turning on the television as he began to chow down on a big plate of spaghetti left behind by Frisk. Would Sans really bring back Frisk? Even if she came back just to rest from her journey, he'd be supremely happy by it. Still… there was something unsettling about today. For some odd reason, he couldn't help but to think that maybe Frisk was in danger at the moment. That perhaps she was… in _grave danger_ at the moment. Sans seemed in a hurry every time he called him, and he would say so many puns in a sentence that it'd drive Papyrus into hanging up every time. Was something wrong? Should he go check up on Frisk?

Watching Mettaton on the television was always refreshing but tonight, it wasn't. Instead, he worried about Sans doing it again—overdoing his duties as his older brother. "OH SANS… MOTHER ALWAYS DID SAY YOU WERE AN OVERACHIEVER. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TIME? I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER FROM NOW ON…"

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- Papyrus**

*********°*********•*********°*********

"IT'S OKAY, BIG BRO… I'M STILL HERE, AND WE'RE TOGETHER, ALWAYS," Papyrus cried as he embraced Sans. Holding unto Papyrus as hard as he could, Sans closed his eye sockets and realized that he had knocked out from whatever Gaster did to him yesterday. His body ached and burned, but in his little brother's arms he felt the pain ease. "…so… you know already, paps?" asked Sans gently, feeling as Papyrus' embrace tightened. "FATHER TOLD ME LAST NIGHT. AT FIRST, I WAS MAD THAT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME, BUT… BUT NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DID THAT. YOU MUST REALLY LOVE ME."

Sans nodded, his chest throbbing with pain as he realized that he was the only one who could protect Papyrus. On the other hand, his little brother embraced him as hard as he could, realizing that his brother would do anything to protect him, which was why, he had to protect him from protecting him. Their father knew more than Sans and he was quite straight forward with things… perhaps he could start hanging out with father more often.

"hey paps… let's work together from now on. i've been thinking about getting a part time job… maybe when i save up enough money, we can move out of here, and we can build a house together. would you like that?"

Papyrus grinned, loosening his grip on his brother as he nodded. "IT'LL BE JUST THE THREE OF US,"

Sans' smile faltered for a moment, shaking his head. "uh, paps… i think gaster's gonna be busy in the lab the rest of his life. he needs to stay here and continue doing whatever he does, so it's just gonna be the two of us, 'kay?"

For a moment, Papyrus stared at Sans with confusion in his expression, tilting his head to the side. "…WHY DO YOU CALL FATHER 'GASTER'?" He asked innocently, to which Sans replied, "uh, you know, g… g's short for gaster, and that's his real name. i think he prefers to be called gaster."

"GASTER? BUT I ALWAYS CALL HIM FATHER?"

"…yeah well, he changed a lot since…" mumbled Sans, stopping himself from talking about Arial's death. Papyrus seemed to understand, or perhaps he ignored him. "LET'S DO IT TOGETHER! JUST YOU AND ME!"

"sure kid. i promise."

And true to his word Sans got a part time job some time later, saving up money for items they'd need. Even so… something about Sans had changed. Many things about Sans had changed. For instance, one week after their talk, he had thrown nearly his entire closet of clothes, literally, threw them into the CORE's lava. Instead of doing the chores in his room, he'd let stuff sit there, and not to mention, his sick obsession with puns began to get worse. Where had his responsible and smart brother gone to?

The more time passed, the more Sans changed. He always seemed to be… grinning. Why on earth would someone keep grinning like that? Well, he always grinned, but his grin nowadays seemed almost forced, almost like he was trying to hide something. He'd disappear sometimes, and Steamy would come and pick him up from school instead… she'd tutor him, and she'd help him, and look after him whenever Sans went to 'special work'. What did that _mean_?

"Papyrus? Are you okay?" asked a soft girl's voice, her hand gently grabbing unto his. Papyrus stared at her, laughing as he nodded. "OF COURSE NOT STEAMY. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM ALWAYS GREAT. UM… STEAMY, WHAT IS SANS' 'SPECIAL WORK'?" he asked, noticing the flaming girl's puzzled look. "Huh… I actually don't know, Papy. All I know is that I'm taking care of my little brother," she giggled, turning back to the stove as she smelled the pasta cooking. "Now, I'm not sure if the recipe is correct, but I won't stop experimenting until we get the perfect spaghetti. Wanna try this batch?" she asked, getting a plate for herself and looking over her shoulder to find Papyrus jumping up and down from joy. "YES! YES! I WANT SPAGHETTI! WE'LL MAKE THE PERFECT SPAGHETTI SOMEDAY!"

The two monsters sat at the dining room table, both looking at the spaghetti in their plates. Steamy who wore her usual white blouse and black vest and slacks looked elegant in contrast to Papyrus who wore a tee and shorts with a baseball cap on his head put on backwards. Quite the contrast indeed.

"AREN'T YOU GOING TO EAT IT FIRST, STEAMY?" asked Papyrus intently, noticing that she seemed nervous. "Uh… yeah, yeah… I'm just… preparing myself mentally. The last time we tried to make spaghetti, uh… it was… quite a **knockout** ," she chuckled, her white form taking the fork and bringing the spaghetti her face, the spaghetti entering the white flames and disappearing. Papyrus grinned, taking a fork full and chowing down, noticing that Steamy had once more knocked out and her head had fallen face first into the spaghetti. Her white body had turned blue, and then slowly into a red, which meant that she once more was over powered by the taste. Papyrus knew this spaghetti tasted differently, but… it was spaghetti! He must eat it!

After eating, he noticed it was getting late and Steamy was still knocked out. Hm… it had been a while since he had last seen his father. Not since he revealed what happened to his mother. Was he still working? Was he okay? He wondered if his father was hungry…

Without giving it much thought, he went into the kitchen and prepared a plate, leaving the apartment and going down each level and searching until he came to level 9.

Looking around the level, he came to a complete stop when he heard Sans' cries, followed by what sounded electronic voices. "stop it gaster!" screamed Sans as loud as he could, and Papyrus gulped. Father?

Walking slowly around the corners of the level, he came to the room where the screaming had come from, and there was his father standing over his brother. It was… strange. His brother was asleep and strapped to a bed, and his father was holding a scalpel…

"PAPYRUS… WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Said the electronic voice coming from his father, sounding angry and quite loud, almost like he was shouting. Papyrus cowered down, looking down at his spaghetti. "I-I-I CAME TO BRING YOU SOME SPAGHETTI… I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE HUNGRY… STEAMY AND I MADE IT…"

Opposite to Papyrus was Gaster whose angry face had softened into shock, looking into his sons' flustered face which seemed scared of him. It looked almost like Arial was scared of him.

Papyrus stared as his father who took the plate and set it down on a nearby table, walking back to him and kneeling down so that their eyes could meet. "You… did this for me?" he asked softly, his electronic voice sounding almost like his own. Papyrus nodded as a few tears fell down, feeling his father's left hand over his skull as he began to pat it much like he would always do. Papyrus looked down, feeling his face get hot and tears flow down faster; immediately his father's arms swooped around him into an embrace. "I'm sorry Papyrus… I've neglected you and I apologize…"

The father and son embraced for as long as the both could, before Papyrus began to let go, drying his face. "ITS OKAY FATHER. JUST PROMISE ME YOU'LL VISIT ME EVERY NOW AND THEN,"

…

There was a momentary pause where Gaster stared at his son and saw the image of Arial.

 _Arial grinned through her tears, her hands trying hard to wipe them all way. "IT'S OKAY MY G-MAN, JUST PROMISE ME YOU'LL COME AND VISIT ME ONCE IN A WHILE."_

"I promise…" Gaster breathed out, blinking and realizing that Papyrus was now smiling. "REALLY?! I CAN'T WAIT TO…" began Papyrus, talking while Gaster once more zoned out.

..

" _REALLY?! HAH HAH, I ALREADY MISS YOU. I CAN'T WAIT TO HOLD YOU LIKE THIS… THE WAR BETWEEN US AND THE HUMANS SCARES ME… BUT WITH YOU HERE, I'M NOT SCARED! MY_ _ **G-MAN**_ _IS THE BEST! A GENIUS, GORGEOUS, AND GALLANT MAN… NYAH HAH HAH," she giggled, embracing Gaster once more before he set out with his parents._

Gaster smiled, his arms once more hugging unto Papyrus. "DAD, WHY IS SANS ON THE BED ASLEEP? IS THIS HIS 'SPECIAL WORK'?" asked Papyrus whose head was on his shoulder.

 _Sans_.

Gaster breathed in, nodding. "Yes, he helps your father with… _special experiments_. But this was our little secret, a secret that you now know… so Papyrus, I ask that you please keep this between us, pretend that you don't know about it… _our_ little secret, eh?"

Those big eyes stared back at him, and for a moment, Gaster thought that the boy would realize what was going on. What would he do? He couldn't hurt Papyrus… sure, Sans was different, he reminded him of himself, but _Papyrus_? He would never be able to lay a finger on the boy.

"O-O-OF COURSE FATHER! OUR SECRET! NOW I'M JUST AS COOL AS SANS," Grinned Papyrus, blushing as his father smiled and sighed in relief, his hand patting his head once more. "No, you're not cool… you're Mr. Cool Dude," chuckled Gaster, remembering how Arial had a hard time learning his father's name, Courier, so she had called him 'Mr. C'.

" _And what does the C stand for, Arial?" asked the ghoul as he shook the girl's hand. "EH? THE C? UH… YOU KNOW… C FOR COOL! MR. COOL, 'CAUSE YOU'RE A COOL DUDE!" She chuckled awkwardly, taking her hand back and scratching the back of her head._

"COOL DUDE? REALLY?! WOWZIE! COMING FROM YOU, FATHER, IT REALLY MEANS A LOT! YOU NEVER CALL ANYONE COOL, NOT EVEN SANS," Spoke Papyrus, yawning afterwards.

Gaster turned his head back towards Sans, watching as his chest slowly rose and fell. From a distance away, he seemed so innocent, almost like Papyrus and yet… he was exactly like himself. He would eventually get used to the experiments, much like himself he figured, and when he had grown out of his rebellious stage, he'd understand that science would be the key to undoing all the horrible things that the humans caused. Courier told him this was the only way… it had to be the only way. Would Sans hate him just like he hated his mother and father? Perhaps… he could have been gentle to Sans…

Gaster breathed in, shaking his head and thoughts. "It's really late, Papyrus. I'll read you a bed time story tonight… but please don't come back down here. A laboratory is very dangerous."

Papyrus smiled as they clasped hands, leaving Sans and walking down the corridors. "BUT IF IT'S DANGEROUS, WHY IS SANS THERE? WHY ARE YOU THERE? IS THAT WHY YOUR VOICE IS FUNNY? CAN'T WE BE A FAMILY LIKE MOTHER WANTED? SHE ALWAYS SAID WE SHOULD HAVE FAMILY DAY EVERYDAY."

A chuckled escaped Gaster. "My dear boy, as long as we're stuck underground, science is the most important thing. Once the C Theory becomes a reality… then we can _all_ spend time together. But until then… I must continue what my father started, and Sans must do his part. You, Papyrus, must do your part too. Promise me you won't worry Sans, and won't worry about me and in turn I promise I'll visit you when I can. Deal?"

They had reached the elevator and the door had just opened. "I PROMISE!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

"…I PROMISE…" Papyrus sighed, washing the nearly clean plate as he thought back to the most important promises he had made. Father had promised to visit whenever he could… but now he couldn't, huh?

Looking back to the past, Sans was right in being eternally mad at his father. Whatever his father did to him, well, Sans had told him to stop… which meant his father was hurting his brother. Why would father hurt Sans? Did it have to do with the experiments? Why was his father obsessed with experiments…?

Papyrus shrugged off the questions in his head, noticing Frisk's vitamin bottle. Ah… she forgot to take her vitamins! He wondered… where they _… also_ spaghetti flavored?

He opened the bottle, smelling the fruity scent. Nope, doesn't smell like spaghetti. Maybe they tasted like spaghetti?

Taking one of the circle gummies, he put it inside his mouth and began to chew, tasting like… grapes.

"AH WELL, IT WAS WORTH A TRY. FATHER'S GUMMIES WERE THE BEST," chuckled Papyrus, putting down the bottle. Every time father would visit him, Sans would be away. Every time he came by, they'd bond and at the end, before leaving, he'd give him a special treat he created in the lab, called 'gummies'. Boy, oh, _boy_ , were they GOOD! They tasted almost like mother's homemade spaghetti!

Then he'd disappear and reappear some time later, asking how he was feeling and if he was feeling different. They'd always try out new things his father could do, but he was never able to copy him… and as always, they'd bond and there was a new yummie gummy.

Ah, he missed them… but at least these gummies _felt_ like the ones he'd eat. Sans must've made them… that meant that Sans had gone back to the lab. _What did that mean_?

He had figured that he was really mad at their father, which was why they left the house and never returned. He never went back to doing science… not until now it seems. _Would he disappear too_?

Papyrus breathed in, walking towards the front of his house. Sans would always worry whenever Papyrus knew more about the truth, which was why he would pretend. Pretend everything was alright. Pretend he didn't know what was going on. Pretend he didn't remember their father. Pretend he didn't remember Steamy. He believed that following in their mother's footsteps, everything would be alright much like she would hope. He hoped for a happy ending to his story. Sans _was not_ going to follow in their father's footsteps. "NOT ON MY WATCH! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HELP THE HUMAN SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO! LOVE, FRIENDSHIP AND DETERMINATION WILL SAVE THE DAY!" Exclaimed Papyrus, closing the door behind him and running off into the fog. Faint 'NYEH HEH HEH's could be heard by the townsfolk.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The familiar song played in the background while Frisk opened her eyes, hearing her mama's voice sound off once more.

" _Flor… please, please wake up! The fate of humans and monsters depends on you!"_

… it was the 99th time she tried, and she was getting tired of trying to run away from Undyne. Even though it was nice to hear her mother's voice, she was getting tired of feeling the weapon pierce through her, of feeling her blood drip and the pain…

" **Let me take over, Frisk. I'll get us safely out of here,"** Chara whispered, but as usual, Frisk shook her head, her hand reaching for the light. **"I can do this… just… one more time. One more time, and if I can't… well…"**

Opening her eyes, she was back at the entrance of the cave. Undyne was itching to fight her. She ran. She ran, she dodged as best she could, ate an ice cream and fled when her SOUL was turned back into a red color.

Run. Dodge. Eat Ice Cream. Repeat.

…

In the distance, Papyrus breathed heavily. Déjà vu had hit him once more, but he overcame the feeling and had taken the path that seemed unfamiliar. From where he stood, he could see what looked like Frisk and Undyne… and Undyne was attacking her?! So his feeling was correct, Frisk had been in danger! It was a good thing he came in the nick of time, otherwise Frisk might have been in terrible danger!

Making his way towards their location, Papyrus swiftly avoided the lava spots and realized something: _Sans was running towards them too_. Hm… Had Sans been searching for them? He looked drenched in sweat. From where he stood, he could see Undyne and noticed that she seemed to be holding back. Did Frisk do it? Was Undyne beginning to warm up to her? …Was she tired? Whatever the reasons, Papyrus had to help. He noticed that Undyne had begun to sweat, and she was slowing down… Ah! She was a fishwoman, so that means she must be getting dehydrated! Hmm…

Frisk seemed to be in trouble, but he was far from them. Sans seemed to be closer, but what would he do?

Hesitating, Papyrus dialed Frisk's phone. "HEY! WHAT'S UP!? I WAS JUST THINKING… YOU, ME AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME! I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!"

Click. Did that do it?

He looked towards Undyne and he saw her face turn red and her greater hesitation. YES!

Frisk was once more caught by Undyne, but this time… her hesitation gave Frisk enough time to flee the battles and Undyne was too unsure to turn her SOUL into green.

Continuing to watch, Papyrus noticed that Sans seemed to be cleaning the his sweat and was standing behind the sentry station, waiting patiently with a grin. "SANS, YOU LAZY BONES… DO SOMETHING!" Papyrus said to himself.

…

She ran as fast as she could, noticing a sentry station ahead. A white figure… wait… SANS!

Frisk looked over her shoulder, noticing that Undyne seemed to be blushing. Had she heard Papyrus? He was rather loud and the speaker was blaring…

Without thinking much on it, Frisk continued her sprint.

It was Sans. He was there. But… he was asleep? Now? At a time like this?

"Help me!" she cried out as she continued to run, running past him as sadness overwhelmed her heart. He was asleep…

She looked over her shoulder once more and noticed that Undyne had come to a complete stop.  
"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?! A HUMAN JUST PASSED BY AND YOU'RE SLEEPING?!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, but Sans continued to sleep soundly. Frisk giggled softly, but turned and began to run once she realized that Undyne was far from her.

The sounds of feet on the wooden bridge began to get farther and farther away. Sans opened one of his eye sockets, sighing in relief. As risky as his plan was, it worked. He knew Undyne would be unable to resist being mad at him for not stopping Frisk, 'specially since it was sentry station and monsters working at sentry stations have to adhere to the work policies. "heh. whoever called the kid during her run sure did make undyne blush a lot. from what i remember, undyne should be dead by now; that kid's spared one of the few monsters that caused her trouble the first time. i wonder how this changes things…" Sans asked himself, watching as Undyne came stomping back, furious about the sudden twist. "You! Don't sleep on the job!" she shouted, pointing at him before hurrying back towards the Marshes.

Sans chuckled to himself. Well… what a lucky turn of events. After so many reloads, Sans had been afraid that the kid would have given up. When Papyrus had called him about his worry, Sans had gone to check up on the kid and found her at Napstablook's house… so what was there to worry about? He went back to the lab, took a quick nap and continued to search up any relevant information and organize it when he realized that something was wrong. He had felt a déjà vu. Over.. and.. over.. again..

It wasn't until the last nine reloads that he realized what was going on. He wasn't falling asleep. It wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. Frisk _was dying_.

He had been unable to find Frisk until this last reload. Out of desperation from being unable to find her anywhere in the unground, he left the lab and exited the doors that led towards the wood bridge. He found her and she was far away, but he recognized her blob and Undyne's armor. If he had more time… he could have warped himself closer. He couldn't warp now… not with the guards and monsters noticing him.

Whoever called Frisk, sure did have perfect timing. It gave Frisk time and it seemed to have distracted Undyne. Hmm… Maybe he should go back home. Paps must still be waiting on the bedtime story.

Papyrus watched his brother disappear, his body slowly fading until it vanished.

… what was that? What did he do?

Papyrus stared at the empty sentry, trying to realize what the heck was going on. Sans had never been able to do that—err, well, as far as he knew. Wait… yeah he did. It was a shortcut.

Oh. My. God.

"IT'S A POWER FROM AN EXPERIMENT AND NOT AN ACTUAL SHORTCUT." Papyrus gasped, remembering how his father would at times amaze him with new powers.

How did he do that? Hmm. Interesting. What a most interesting power…

Papyrus shrugged, beginning to walk back towards the house. "HAVING THOSE POWERS WOULD BE PRETTY CONVINIENT. GOSH! _I MEAN, I COULD BE HOME RIGHT NOW_ , EATING SP..A..GHE…TTI?"

Papyrus took a step back, his boot crunching the snow beneath him as the environment around him began to turn white and green instead of the red and hot from hotland. He took a step forward and realized he was back in Snowdin…

…what? Did that just happen? He had been so _mad_ , and now… what?! He blinked, his orange eye disappearing much like it had appeared—with no prior warning.

He looked around and realized that everyone must be in their homes considering how late it was. Had that really happened? "…FATHER…" Papyrus whispered to himself, his hands grasping his red scarf and snuggling against it. "…I DON'T UNDERSTAND…"

Shaking his head, he continued towards his house, entering the abode and smiling when he saw Sans fallen on the couch. "I WONDER IF FRISK WILL GET A GOOD NIGHT'S REST TOO…"

Scrunching his face, Sans nodded. "where have you been? eh… nevermind i'm too tired. take me to your room, let's snuggle up and read a good book." His eye sockets fell down once more, but he felt his body be picked up by those familiar hands. He could feel every step Papyrus took, and finally, when he had fallen on the racecar bed. "HOW ABOUT WE CHANGE IT UP A BIT. TELL ME A STORY… A STORY ABOUT MOTHER."

Sans sighed, opening his eye sockets just enough to see Papyrus in his sleeping clothes, settling down beside him.

"heh. 'kay. how about… how momster was born?"

Beside him, Papyrus nodded, already beginning to dose off.

"long ago, we monsters lived on the surface with the humans. humans were primitive, and all of different cultures and beliefs, but there something all humans had in common. humans had strong DETERMINATION, but lacked the power to absorb SOULS. their bodies were made mostly of water and their magic tended to be super weak. we monsters could outlive a human by several generations. humans used to live up to… i think mom said 30 years. we monsters could live up to 250! heh. amazing, amiright?"

He looked beside him and noticed that Papyrus had one eye socket open and one closed. "I'VE NEVER HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE! TELL ME MORE!"

Sans sighed. "…'kay. so, some humans were obsessed with us and would call us 'gods'. other humans thought that we brought a balance to the their world, and without us, things might get crazy up there. who knows, anyways, our grandmom was actually a human. i know, i was shocked too when momster told me."

The way Papyrus' eye sockets widened tickled Sans' funny bone. Now he knew why momster laughed at him when she told him the story.

"so, our grandmom was named… uh… i think the name was horatia. anyways, our grandpop was a ghoul working in a lab that allowed certain human geniuses to help out. dr. roman was our grandpop, and they met when horatia stumbled down a high beam. i think mom said that she was pretty light and so she was helping out by fixing whatever was broken in the pipelines. so, grandmom gets blown off a high beam and grandpop saves her by jumping up, waaay high up, and saving her from splatting on the ground."

Papyrus yawned, smiling as he tried to keep his eye sockets open. "WOWZA. GRANDFATHER SOUNDS SO COOL. WHY DIDN'T WE EVER MEET THEM?"

Sans' smile disappeared momentarily. "…well uh, i said long ago. _anyways,_ horatia swooned over grandpop, and to thank him for saving her from certain death, she cooked him dinner. according to momster, grandmom loved to cook and her cooking won over grandpop. after a year of dating, flowers, candle lit dinners, grandpop and grandmom decided to get hitched so… they did."

… "WHATS A 'HITCH'?" asked Papyrus, yawning once more.

"well, it's what humans do when they love someone a lot. most humans don't live long, so when they find someone they love, they get married and make vows to love one another until death parts 'em. grandpop roman was open about the whole human culture even though the rest of our ghoul family wasn't. then again, grandpop roman was more of warrior than a scientist, heh, he ended up leaving the science department shortly after they started dating… momster told me she learned all her early fighting basics from him. anyways, after another year, grandpop's magic and grandmom's human body began to interact. she began to age slower. the most surprising thing that happened was that momster was born—that was a feat that monsters didn't know was possible, well… _most monsters_. momster was born a human first, with her golden locks of hair and bright green eyes, fleshy skin and muscles. then, momster explained that the stronger her magic began to get, the more unstable her body became and her human body was beginning to age slowly. after a while, her human bod just… began to vanish and turn into bones. like a raisin, almost. or at least, that's what momster told me. she just wanted to fit in with the other monsters. so, sometime after her human-ness began to vanish and fall off, she met…"

Papyrus right eye socket had finally fallen down, and his chest had begun to move to a rhythm. To his side, Sans smiled in relief. The last thing he wanted to tell Papyrus was how their mother met their father. No, that story was better off left in the dark. Why remind Papyrus of a nonexistent father?

A bright light began to form in the darkness of the room, which caught Sans' attention. It was her again.

"…I wouldn't mind hearing about _who_ your mom met," she smiled walking towards Papyrus' action figures.

"how do you know about mom _and him_? actually, let's take this talk outside." asked Sans, warping out of the bed and beside Florencia, before grabbing her hand and warping outside. Then he realized… she wasn't there anymore.

"I don't manifest as you think I do. But, you're right… down to business, as they say. I… met your mama."

Sans turned around staring at the angelic figure before shaking his head in disbelief. "you, WHAT?" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Florencia could only smile as she nodded her head. "Boss monster SOULS are able to live shortly after dying, correct? Or something along those lines, I don't remember the explanation. Well… your mother was a half human. born a human and died a monster… her SOUL shattered and she turned to dust, but her human soul, her being… her consciousness is still alive much like I was when I died. I promised her I would help her, and I am… but now you must help _us_."

Sans had taken a step back, his hands trembling with shock. "..what… the hell… i don't… _what_?"

Florencia could feel her form beginning to glitch once more. "Hit me with your Gaster Blasters again."

" _again_?" Sans asked, but activated his powers nonetheless, hitting her with his best shot and realizing that her form began to solidify once more.

"Thank you… well. She feels its time you knew a little more about this mountain and its secrets. Mount Ebott is different from the other mountains in the world. This mountain flows with magical energy and mana… it is the reason why the monster population retreated into this mountain. It is the reason why monsters have much longer life spans, and why we humans can no longer use magic, after all, all the magic was sealed inside here, right?"

Sans' eye turned back to normal and he looked around him, realizing it was the dead of night. He hoped Papyrus hadn't woken up…

"Arial told me of the Mountain Rhapsody, the song that monsters heard when they decided to retreat. The Mountain Rhapsody told them of a prophecy, that an angel who has seen the surface will descend into the Underground and make it empty of monsters. With the mountain being their only source of hope, they retreated into the underground and new King and Queen ruled the underground with what little monsters were saved. Arial and Gerson were the last two of the Royal Guard, and Gaster… Gaster was sole surviving scientist."

Sans noticed the way Florencia seemed grim. "…what does that have to do with my mom?" asked Sans.

"I'm not sure, Sans. But what I am sure of, is that your mother is amongst us, somewhere. She does not have a spirit body like I do, nor does she take a misty form like ghost. One day, a voice began to talk to me, and it told me she had been feeling ' **bonely** '. I had asked Gaster about the voice, but… he had never heard it. Your mother doesn't want him to know she that _knows_. I want to understand more, Sans. Arial urged me to ask you for help the last time I spoke with her… I just want to help everyone. I want to help _her_. She's managed to absorb the mountain magic using her high DETERMINATION and fragments of leftover human SOUL."

"i… i don't understand. why hasn't she approached us?" asked Sans with teary eyes, noticing that the angel looked down with her hand on her chest. "She misses you all a _**skele-ton**_ , she told me to tell you. She knows that what she is now… she is no longer the same Arial you remember her to be. As a mother, I understand her… I miss my little Flor, but Flor has to understand that I'm gone and move on."

Sniffling, Sans noticed something about the last sentence. "…flor? That's a strange way to say flower…"

With a chuckle, Florencia nodded. "I forget, monsters can understand all kinds of languages. Flor is Spanish for Flower. Flor, however, is a shortened nickname for Florencia. Frisk was never her real name, you know… it was name we made up on our way up Mt. Ebott."

"…yeah, that makes sense, i guess. so, care to explain why frisk can't remember her name? w-what about the reason why she's able to RESET?"

Florencia turned around, looking into the darkness of the fog while she shook her head. "I cannot, not now at least. Gaster is coming this way… please, bring little Flor back to your house and let her get comfortable with everyone. Stall her just a while longer before she sets off,"

And just like that, the angel vanished.

Well… that was quite an informative conversation. So, Florencia needed energy to stay materialized in this world, and his Gaster Blasters provided that energy it seemed. And his momster…

Feeling a chill in the air, Sans' left eye glowed. "I wish my Gaster Blasters could blast _you_." he mumbled, warping his way to hotland, leaving behind the chilly air that hosted Gaster. "Just like me, it seems," he chuckled to himself, looking towards the dark house and noticing a tall shadowy figure behind the windows, disappearing further into the house. "…and just like your mother…"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk yawned, looking up towards the tall hooded figure that stood in the boat. "Tra la la… Care for a ride?" asked the figure in a motherly tone although the voice itself didn't sound like a girl… or a guy. Just… a voice. Frisk sat up, holding unto her tenth cup of water and drinking it before putting it in her satchel. "A ride?" she asked.

"Yes, child. The underground is pretty big, and I can take you to Snowdin, Waterfall and here, Hotland if you ever need a ride,"

Frisk began to get up, stretching her arms and legs from the nap she had taken. Wow… that fight with Undyne sure did tire her out!

From behind her, Sans casually walked by, noticing the Riverperson on their boat. He had seen Frisk sleeping there, and then the Riverperson's boat gently floated by until it came to a stop. Well… at least now he didn't have to warp them back to Snowdin. "…hey kid, there you are. i've been looking all over for you **, water** you up to?"

A sleepy Frisk turned around with a grin on her face. "Sans! I was so mad that you didn't help me out with Undyne earlier…" she pouted, turning to the Riverperson who began to chuckle softly.

Sans shrugged. "working multiple jobs means i get multiple breaks, and when you work as much as i do, you **lava** good nap, but i guess undyne doesn't like it when monsters nap on the job because she **erupted** with anger, "

The Riverperson's hooded figure moved as though it were giggling, while Frisk could only hug Sans. "Thanks Sans… …Sans… can I… sleep at the house?" asked Frisk, looking down and seeming embarrassed.

"sure kid, actually… i was hoping maybe you'd like to stay with us for another while. you know… get to know undyne better, maybe talk to the local monsters more. i'm pretty sure you haven't met everyone since you ran through the marshes into hotland,"

The skeleton and the human boarded the boat, and after sitting down, the river person began to sing.

"Tra la la~ The waters are wild today. That's good luck..."

Frisk looked up towards the hooded figure, noticing that… it didn't have a face. Underneath the hood, there seemed to be absolutely nothing, just… emptiness, although… although looking quite intently, for some reason, she felt that she could see the stars if only for a moment, much like what happened when she had stayed with Napstablook after eating dinner. "Woah…" whispered Frisk, awe struck.

Sans looked over to Frisk, wondering what she seemed to be amazed with. The river person continued to sing as the boat flowed down the river, and into Snowdin. With a yawn, Frisk stumbled out of the boat and with Sans' help, she managed to avoid falling into the water. "thanks rp, you da' best," grinned Sans as his left hand grasped the small child's hand, his right hand waving goodbye to the Riverperson who stood idly on its boat, watching the two figures disappear in to the town before floating down the river once more.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Waking up in the comfort of her bed, Frisk smiled, looking at the ceiling which she had painted with Sans. The images of stars stared back at her, and they reminded her of the river person who had helped them get to Snowdin. The figure was so tall, almost as tall as Papyrus and it seemed as though it enjoyed singing and the river a lot. Was it a ghost too? From what the Angry Dummy told her, it seems as though ghosts could inhabit objects… perhaps a ghost inhabited the robe? The river person _had_ to be a ghost. The way that everything turned to stars and space when she mediated with Naptablook seemed so real… and for a moment, when she stared long enough into Riverperson, she could see space too, inside of its cloak.

The smell of reheated spaghetti waved by, and hunger began to rumble her stomach. Oh man, was she hungry. The ghost sandwich didn't help at all…

Frisk sat up and she was startled to see Chara standing there, with her arms crossed and her expression seeming almost angry. "Hey _little sis_ … are you going back to hotland and continuing your journey to find papa?" she asked.

Frisk cowered down, shaking her head. "N-no… I mean yes… I mean… I want to spend some more time with my friends. Yesterday, while I was napping… I remembered again how mama didn't look for papa. Instead, we lived together, and she would tell me to wait until it was the right time. She said… she said not to rush wanting to see my papa."

The tall adolescent stared at the little girl with piercing eyes, her scowl erased as she forced a smile on her face. "If you think so, Frisk. But don't you think your papa will get _tired of waiting_?" she asked, her form turning into a mist and disappearing.

Downstairs, the two brothers happily ate their spaghetti while the TV showed Mettaton's Quiz show. "HUMAN! WELCOME BACK! JOIN US!" Papyrus gleefully exclaimed, making room for the human in between him and Sans. Frisk ran to the kitchen and came back with a plate of spaghetti and a gummy on the side, grinning as she plopped down the couch and watched her favorite show.

"SO HOW DID IT GO? DID YOU MEET UNDYNE? DID YOU TWO BECOME FRIENDS?" Asked Papyrus, glancing down towards Frisk who shook her head, taking a bite out of the spaghetti which disappeared once she began to chew it. SOUL food, but at least it made her stomach feel like it was eating.

"WE SHOULD GO AND HANG OUT BY WITH UNDYNE TODAY. AFTER I PATROL SNOWDIN, MEET ME BY UNDYNE'S OKAY?"

Sans smiled, yawning as he stretched his free arms. "yeah, go make friends, frisk. i'm going to be busy with work, but i'll be around."

Frisk turned to Sans, chewing on her gummy. "…okay." she whispered, smiling as the three focused on the Mettaton's Quiz Show.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Outside of house, Toriel walked towards the center of the town, seeming a bit tired. No signs of Frisk. "Where could that child be?" Toriel asked herself, feeling chilly all of a sudden. She held her arms under the cloak, turning to the right on the intersection and continuing to walk in hopes that by some chance she'd run in her child.

Beside her, Chara floated invisibly, staring at the goat with a flow of anger. " _ **You**_ _. You again. What's the big idea? Trying to find Frisk and save her from Asgore…_ _ **what a joke**_ _. You couldn't save me or Asriel… what makes you think you can save Frisk? What makes you think you can save_ _ **anybody**_?" Chara thought to herself, deciding to float away.

On the other side of Toriel, Gaster loomed over her, noticing that the black mist no one could see was floating away. The benefits of being nonexistent it seemed… he could notice things that shouldn't be noticeable. This goat mother's presence here was new, and now Gaster wondered if it would alter the timeline even further. He hadn't considered that, had he?

Toriel came to a stop when she noticed a boat float by slowly with a tall hooded person much like herself. "Tra la la~ Tra la la~ Care for boat ride~?" asked the Riverperson, swaying its shoulders side to side with the harmony of its voice.

"Why certainly! Where does boat go?" asked Toriel, getting on the boat and noticing that the wooden boat had suddenly grown taller and the helm had turned into the head of a dog. "Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland. All inconveniently far, but conveniently close with this boat."

"Ahh… can you please take me to Hotland? Thank you very much… …hm, what is your name?"

Gaster floated beside the figure, staring inside the cloak but finding only darkness. _"DARK, DARKER, YET DARKER_ ," his mind played back, and he floated back with a shudder, watching as the boat began to float slowly away. He had never seen this monster, or figure before… why had he never noticed them? Why did he suddenly feel so _cold_? He, a nonexistent being _feeling cold_?

"Tra la la? Tra la la. What's my name?... It doesn't really matter..."

Gaster floated once more beside Toriel. Doesn't matter? _It does now_! Who was this person? This… insufferable person?

Toriel on the other hand smiled and laughed, moving her head to the rhytmn of the voice. "Ah, are you the river person then? I heard about you… they call you Riverperson,"

Riverperson? _What kind idiotic name is that_?

"Tra la la~ Yes I am, la la~"

The rest of the boat ride was in silence, until Toriel arrived to Hotland. "Thank you, Riverperson. Are you always on the river?" asked Toriel, shivering for some reason.

"Tra la la~ I love the river~ tri li li~ tre le le~"

And thus the river person floated off, and the boat turned back into a wooden boat while the person continued to sing its tune.

Toriel giggled to herself, walking up the slope. "What a nice monster. I can search for frisk everywhere without getting so tired now,"

Behind her, the tall shadow sighed with frustration. Perhaps he hadn't seen everything in the underground? Other monsters knew the wretched monster, so it wasn't possible that it was an anomaly.

Up head, Toriel came to a stop when she saw two guards having a friendly conversation. That path led to the CORE… no. She would not head that way… not now. She had to find Frisk. Toriel walked towards the wooden bridge, beginning to hum the river person's melody.

Ah… it sounded just like…

"Just like the mountain rhapsody," she whispered, shaking her head. That old prophecy was probably just some strange song made to raise hope for a dying race. An angel? From the surface?

She remembered when she saw Chara, laying with her belly first and her exposed back. She had hoped that Chara… perhaps that Chara had been that angel. That sweet girl had come from the surface but alas… she was not the angel. Instead… instead what happened only brought despair to the kingdom and to her family.

Would Frisk be that angel? "No… she's just another human trying to get home," Toriel whispered to herself, shaking her head and looking down at the lava pooled underneath. "Only the angel of death would be able to release us from our suffering… my little Frisk, no matter how noble and kind you are like an angel, you're not able to break the barrier as innocently as you think you can," Toriel lamented, a tear falling down and unto the scorching hot lava.

Bergentrückung… This mountain… its rich history was lost to them after the war, and now they could only go by what the elder monsters at the time remembered. The new mountain king, Asgore and his old human friend… Had that friendship not been forged, then the monster race would have surely been wiped out. Toriel remembered how brave her fluffybuns had been that day, and how when they were forging a truce, a song erupted from the magical mountain, almost as if calling all the remaining monsters back into a nest. Then she remembered how all the remaining monsters had been spared by command of Asgore's old friend and escorted to the mountain. The trail and the trek up the mountain was hard for many who had lost entire families and friendships. Then… there had been Arial.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback- End of the war**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Masses of monsters walked up the hill, all huddled and the sounds of sniffling and sobs following them all. At the very back had been Asgore who walked beside a tall human male who bore shining armor and was decorated with pins. Behind those two walked seven human mages, all determined to seal the mountain with their lives. It was for the best, the best for all humanity and these potentially dangerous creatures be exiled.

Toriel stood idly, trying to reach the back where her fiancé walked with the human commander that is, until she felt familiar arms wrap around her and felt the crushing embrace that Arial held her in. "TORIEL… M-M-MY MOM AND DAD…" she sobbed, tears following like river out from her eye sockets as she fell knees first unto the earth, her arms holding unto Toriel's legs. "I CAN'T DO THIS, TORIEL. I MISS MY MOM. I WANT HER BACK! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM OR GASTER, I CAN'T! I WANT TO JUST DISAPPEAR, PLEASE MAKE ME DISAPPEAR!" she screamed while monsters hurried past them.

Of course none of the other monsters cared about Arial. She was just a weird half monster to them.

Toriel knelt down, feeling Arial's strong bony arms wrap around her torso as she continued to weep loudly, her body trembling. "Arial, sweetie, please calm down and tell me-" began Toriel, but she stopped when she realized that Gerson stood a few feet away and was covered in dust, staring at Arial with sad looking eyes.

"THEY'RE DEAD! MY MOM AND DAD TURNED INTO SOMETHING AND THE HUMANS KILLED THEM AND THEY TURNED TO DUST! I HAVE THEIR DUST EVERYWHERE, I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I HATE IT!"

Toriel's eyes widened, her nose scrunching up and her eyes looking down Arial's back and realizing that she too was covered in dust.

Gerson took a step forward. "M'ladyship, I'm afraid… I'm afraid that Roman and Horatia were lost in the last battle. The humans were massacring us, and Horetia did what she thought would buy us time…"

Arial's grip on Toriel's body tightened. "MY MOM AND DAD TURNED TO DUST! MY MOM… TURNED TO DUST…"

Toriel looked at Gerson with a puzzled look, feeling Arial's grip loosen as she began to weep silently into Toriel's fuzzy neck. "M'lady," Gerson began, his hand on the crook of his neck. "What Arial is trying to say, is that Horetia fused with Roman. She willingly used her SOUL to fuse with Roman as means to combat the overwhelming forces. When the fused 'Rometian' was defeated once, the green SOUL reanimated the fused monster, and they kept fighting until finally the SOUL shattered and…"

Toriel was confused by everything Gerson was saying. "THEY BURST INTO DUST! THEY BURST INTO DUST AND I CAN'T GET THEIR DUST OFF ON ME! I CAN'T… UNSEE…"

Gerson sighed, looking down. "We didn't capture a single SOUL. Had it not been for those two, we would have lost many more, including this one."

Toriel embraced Arial, her grip tightening as she heard Gerson. "Arial I'm so sorry…" she whispered, her neck wet with tears. "I LOST MY PARENTS, MY BOYFRIEND IS MISSING, AND I JUST WANT TO DIE," she cried, her voice sounding quite serious unlike her melodramatic voice. Toriel's hug became tighter as she shook her head. "Stop that. You can't leave me alone either, you hear?"

"Gaster's fine." Gerson sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I picked him up from the western front a while back, before picking you up. He should be somewhere around here," Gerson looked up, noticing that King Asgore and the human commander were in the near distance. Walking towards them, he left behind Toriel and Arial. "MY BOYFRIEND IS FINE…?" Sniffled Arial, letting go of Toriel and gripping her locket. It was all she had now. All she had was just Toriel and Gaster it seemed.

"Your highness… the eastern front has been evacuated." breathed out Gerson, walking slowly as he approached Asgore who seemed relieved. "Ah, thank you Gerson. W-what were the casualties for both fronts?" asked Asgore in a low voice, his face turning grim. Beside him the human seemed to look the other way, his face flustering with what seemed to be guilt. Gerson scoffed.

"In the Eastern front, we lost all our boss monsters and several hundred thousand monsters. We… nearly lost the entire eastern front had it not been for Dr. Roman and Dr. Horetia. The human fused with Roman… and they managed to keep the humans busy while we fled. By the time the humans were upon us once more, the news of the truce had reach the humans they had stopped the assault."

Asgore froze in his place, and the human commander stopped, turning to look at him with surprise. The seven human mages also stopped and seemed ready for battle, but Asgore had managed to take a few steps, even if they were slow. "…really, Gerson? That many… And they're… gone? …How's Arial?" he asked in a whisper.

Gerson shrugged. "She's as dramatic as she always has been although… to be frank, I've never seen her like this. I had to get several monsters to restrain her in order to get her out of there in one piece."

Asgore sighed with nod. "I see… and the western front?"

Gerson breathed in, trying to keep his cool. "The western front… was decimated. Very few monsters survived, and the number of survivers is less than a hundred. The remaining monsters were saved by explosives that the royal scientists caused."

Asgore once more stopped walking and instead of taking baby steps, he stood there in silence, his hands shaking as he gripped the turtle's shoulders. "The Royal Scientists… What happened to them?! What happened to Gaster?!" he pleaded, shaking the turtle who was patient with the new king.

"Sir… Gaster was the _sole_ surviver. I managed to find him outside of the laboratories before they all went up in flames. To be honest, those scientists did well in burning everything." Gerson spoke in a monotone, walking in babysteps like the king beside him. "…I can't believe Dr. Courier is gone. Our best Scientist… our best species of scientists wiped out and… and poor Gaster is alone."

Toriel could hear the footsteps, and she began to get up, helping Arial who silently wept. "Arial…" began Asgore, looking back to the humans who seemed indifferent. "Arial, I'm so sorry…"

The tall skeleton looked down, shaking her head. "I-IT'S FINE. MY DAD PROVED A GHOUL COULD BE A HERO AND MY MOM PROVED THAT NOT ALL HUMANS ARE EVIL."

The human commander beside Asgore turned to the skeleton. "So, you're the half monster he told me about…" he spoke, attempting to sound gentle.

"I AM! I'M PROOF THAT HUMANS AND MONSTERS CAN COEXIST AND YET…! HOW COULD YOU KILL MY MOTHER AND FATHER WHO ONLY TRIED TO SAVE FLEEING MONSTERS?!"

The human commander signaled the seven mages to stand down, his expression seeming solemn. "I'm sorry about what happened. I received intel of what happened a while ago… I apologize for all humanity for what happened. I'm trying my best to save you all… I'm trying so hard to save _you_."

Asgore felt the human's hand on his arm trembling as he seemed to be holding back his true expression on the matter. "Please…" he began. "Let's head to the mountain so that we can end this needless war."

Arial's fist shook with anger and sorrow, her legs sprinting on ahead as she left Asgore, Gerson and the humans alone. Toriel followed Arial.

"…what now, your highness?" asked Gerson, weary of battle.

Asgore looked up towards the mountain. "We heed the mountain rhapsody and find shelter in our home."

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy barks:**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sup guys. Super long chapter for the long wait. I've been thinking about how this chapter was going to go, and… well, I felt that it needed more background to the events prior to Frisk in order to understand what would happen later on. In case anyone was confused:

-I have the year system working as is: The year 201'0= when they began to count their years inside the underground. 201'X= 100 years later; their first century. 201X which is when Chara fell. It's a bit confusing, I know, but I'm trying to see if I can fit dates so the fic sounds more… realistic. What does the X stand for? Well, haven't incorporated it in the fanfic but it's gonna be when the royal castle was inaugurated on the 100th year underground. New Home.

-Monsters speak universally. You speak, they understand a rough translation. When Sans heard 'flor' he understood flower but the dialect or accent or whatever you wanna call it tripped him up.

-Florencia is a human spirit who absorbs magic in order to manifest herself.

-Arial may be technically dead. Because she's a half human, she's stuck in a mini limbo it seems? (not gonna spoil it)

-The Riverperson is a mystery (not gonna spoil that one either)

-Papyrus… was experimented on. (I hinted at this on several occasions in this chapter an in the second chapter…?) I cannot spoil the rest, however.

-Toriel is a sad mess. When you spare her in the pacifist route, I felt that her dialogue really oozed with pain, not just pain of losing children, but almost like losing all hope.

-Asgore is the new king of the mountain, and has forged a truce with the humans through his old friend. What happened to The old king and queen? May be revealed later.

-Mount Ebott is a magical mountain and I incorporated the prophecy by making the mountain sing a tune in which the prophecy is told. Plot wise, **this may be important later on** ;3

-There are other species of Boss Monsters, however, they were all nearly wiped out. Current known bosses: Toriel, Asgore and Gerson (gatdamn he old lol)

-The human commander I'm referring to is the human in the beginning of the game that has a spear and is seen in the intro slides. I dunno if I should write more about him… comment on this?

I think that's all the major things in here. I didn't receive any reviews, so… I just kept going with what my mind told my fingers to type. Like I've said in other chapters, I have absolutely NO IDEA how this fanfic is going, but those few followers keep me writing, so this is all for you guys :3

I'm thinking about updating this fanfic weekly/bi-weekly starting today. I don't know how busier my life can get, so I'ma try and see if I can update this fanfic within a week, if not, then two weeks (with a chapter perhaps half as short as this one? )

howzaboutit?

Would be really nice to hear reviews, criticism, praise, hate, and all that jazz.

xoxo

-PvW

P.S.

Next chapter leak: Undyne burns her house, Sans makes money, Frisk meets Metta and Alphys. Sans uncovers super dusty papers. Papyrus hears a flower. _When a flower attacks_. The meaning of a goat's 'Neeeeeeegh'. Garbage diving.

This fanfic is trash, I swear. But I write anyways ;-;


	8. When Flowers Attack pt 1

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

***Updated 5.20.2016 for errors.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter Eight:** _ **When Flowers Attack Pt.1**_

 **The Year 201(?) (War time)**

*********°*********•*********°*********

 _The long trek up the mountain lasted days. The proud race of monsters who ruled the upper half of the world now stood a shattered a race of less than a thousand in what used to be more than a million strong. The war between monsters and humans was devastating, and not a single human SOUL was captured._ _ **Not a single one**_ _._

*********°*********•*********°*********

In the days before the coronation of King Asgore, the battles were fierce and King Hektor would not sound the retreats. Instead, the onslaught continued for days until finally a few monsters began to rebel.

One of those monsters was the king's son, Asgore.

Asgore had quite the reputation of being kind and unlike his father, he believed that perhaps humans could be reasoned with… of course, King Hektor believed otherwise. Just as quickly as the humans attacked, King Hektor quickly retaliated with massive numbers.

He underestimated their numbers and power.

He had divided each war front as best he could, each with their own trump card. The Western Front had the Royal Guard and Boss Monsters—as much physical strength as they could muster. Their trump card had to undefinably be Dr. Roman and Dr. Horatia, both who had figured out a way to bond their magic and DETERMINATION in such a way that had never been experimented and analyzed before. Whatever this bond was, the Royal Scientists had concluded that their power could be a possible trump card should things go wrong. In the Eastern Front, the Royal Scientists held out with science and machinery which were much more advanced than the humans' savage form of fighting. Their trump card? King Hektor wasn't quite sure, but Dr. Courier spoke of time and space. It didn't make sense, but he trusted their decisions and what they had decided for the war, was to buy time and stall the war as long as possible. They would never propose such a thing unless whatever they were coming up with would win the war.

And thus… it had been decided.

At first, it seemed as though perhaps the humans would retreat and rethink their plan… but their DETERMINATION proved deadly.

King Hektor waited patiently for Dr. Courier's plan to take effect while commanding his monster armies against the enemy. The best he could do was minimize the damage but even so…

And then… that fateful day arrived. A hastily written letter from Dr. Courier and Dr. Semi arrived.

'King HEKTOR,

We are close to finishing The Courier Theory. Please go all out and buy us enough time. In the end, our plan will undo the damage the humans have done, and we will eliminate the human race from existence. Do not hesitate.

Dr. Courier and Dr. Semi'

Without thinking about the consequences, King Hektor did as he was advised to do. Pushing both fronts with everything he had, he could only hope the royal scientists could do as they promised. Dr. Semi was a renowned scientist during his time, and his son, Courier was proving to surpass his father it seemed… Still. If Dr. Semi believed his son's theory could save them all, then he had to trust in them.

*********°*********•*********°*********

While his father pushed for war, Asgore pushed for peace, not just because war seemed so vile, but also because his friendship with a human proved that not all humans wanted war. Young Asgore was a spirited person, much like Alasdair. The two friends grew up together and Alasdair, now as co-commander of the Western Human Army, used his influence to push for peace between the two races. Before the war, humans were weary of the monsters, but they weren't bothered by them in any way.

No. Everything had been fine. There had been a balance of humans who loved monsters, humans who tolerated monsters, and humans who avoided monsters.

 **But then, powerful humans began to rise.**

Humans whose magical power could make the earth quake, seas rise, winds cut and flames melt. Why were humans getting so progressively powerful? Because _**magic**_.

Monsters were made of magic. Monsters _**were magic**_. Monsters never posed a threat, but with their ability to absorb SOULS, what if a bad monster one day decided to appear? _What if a monster absorbed a SOUL_? How powerful would they be? More powerful than a human mage?

What if…?

In the Western Front, the second co-commander of the humans rose to power by just posing that question. Commander Charanjit Takashki, the well-known and feared fighter asserted his position as commander and pushed for the war—however somewhere along the line, rebellious humans pushed for peace. Pressure from several towns and Cities left Charanjit without any other choice but to give someone from the opposing view power and that someone… had been Alasdair.

Charanjit hated it. How troublesome it was, to give up total command of the army in order to appease the masses. These monsters were a joke, they fought and they lost without obtaining a SOUL. Intel from the Eastern Front said that the battles were won, but they could never penetrate past the desert where the main fortress of those infamous ghouls were. Those… things that had ignited the war in the east. Their methods, their interest in humans, their… ghastly experiments. Humans disappearing without a trace… no one could prove it was the ghouls, but no one had a doubt it was them. Even if they opened their labs to them, even if they appeared friendly enough, the families of the vanished humans knew it had to be the ghouls. The frequent diseases that spread only in the Eastern Hemisphere…

"We need to _ **exterminate**_ the monsters," sneered Charanjit, looking at the small council of humans. To his side, the ever worried Alasdair stood up in opposition. The black locks of hair waved as his chest heaved. "Absolutely **NOT**! Monsters are essential in our world! Without monsters, there is no magic! What if the world around us decides to die? Or if something in the balance changes? The monsters are friendly! We're the ones who initiated the war, lets at least show them some mercy!" shouted the obnoxious freckled man, his blue eyes staring at the room full of humans.

" **Mercy… there is only strength and determination. Without neither… they're weak. And the weak,** _ **deserve to die**_ **."** thought Charanjit, rolling his eyes as Alasdair continued his argument, dozing off as usual.

In the room full of humans, seven mages stood up, catching Charanjit's attention. Three of them seemed to have come from the Eastern Front. "Then we shall make a barrier with our magic! Commander Alisdair, come to us with the monster's decision."

" **What?** _ **What the hell?**_!" thought Charanjit, standing up. "What do you mean?" he growled, watching as Alisdair rushed out of the room. One of the mages smiled at him. "Alisdair gives a strong argument, and a world without magic could prove catastrophic. That is why we shall send Alisdair and hope the monster population accepts their defeat. In doing so, we shall use our magic to seal the monsters somewhere, away from us. They will live, and we will all live separated, almost as if they never existed, never to return."

Charanjit narrowed his eyes. "That's absurd. We need to **kill** all the monsters before they become a nuisance… You know what? Fine. Go ahead, try to save your pitiful monsters… I'll do the dirty work for you." he snapped, getting up and storming out of the room, pushing a pale woman aside without thinking twice about who she was.

"Well… he's a feisty one, isn't he?" chuckled the white woman, her chestnut hair long and shimmering in the light of the room. "C-C-Commander Mara!" stuttered one of the mages, running to her side and clinging to her like a moth.

Mara stared at the silent room, knowing fully well she was unwelcomed in the Western Council Meeting. "You western savages disgust me… which is why after the war, I'll be establishing myself in this side of the world, making sure you savages stay in check," smirked the woman, her eyes catching the flares of anger from across the room. "Well, now that this pitiful council meeting over the fate of the monsters is over, how about we start dividing the conquered lands,"

The room began to clear out, and throughout the discussions one thing had been clear: The Eastern Hemisphere didn't want to just colonize the Western World, they wanted to take over and the monster war was just another excuse for them to invade. Even with their much smaller numbers, the Eastern World still posed a threat with their advanced weaponry.

Tension was rising, _quick_.

Alisdair huffed, catching his breath while Asgore helped Toriel sit down. "This is bad, Asgore. Charanjit wants to annihilate the monster race, but I've managed to convince the council to spare you all. Please… you have to surrender or Charanjit will march the troops and slaughter every monster out there,"

Toriel gasped, turning to Asgore stared at her with worry in his eyes. "My father doesn't plan on surrendering… Tory, what are we going to do?" cringed Asgore, sitting down between Toriel and Alasdair, his hands grasping his long locks of golden hair.

"Asgore," began Alisdair, thinking on his words before continuing, "you're a prince! If the majority of the population of monsters like you, or want to surrender, then they will follow your footsteps! Stand up to your father, and become the next king! Please, I don't want any more fighting…"

Toriel gave Alisdair a comprehensive smile, her hand grasping Asgore's. "Fluffybuns… you can do it. Be the hero the monsters need! If King Hektor won't listen to you, then I know the rest of the monsters will,"

Asgore's eyes twinkled, and he turned to Toriel, bring her hand to his lips and kissing it before asking, "Toriel… will you be my queen?"

Alasdair turned, his cheeks turning red having realized that this was probably the worst timing for his proposal. Asgore had on many occasions planned his marriage proposal, but he would always back out of it because it wasn't the right moment and now… was this rushed? _Was he_ pushing Asgore, in a way?

Opposite of Asgore, Toriel gasped, a grin appearing as she embraced Asgore. "Of course! Even if the worst happens… I will always love you,"

Alisdair smiled to himself. Asgore had always been unsure about Toriel's devotion to him. He'd figured Toriel might know about his insecurities, perhaps she figured that was the reason he was taking so long on his proposal. What if Toriel finds a better guy? What if she gets bored of me? Ah, silly Asgore. Alisdair would miss his best friend…

After several minutes, Asgore got up from his seat. "Well then… Alisdair, let's find dad. Tory, if you could please go make sure you get the word out… I… even if my dad refuses to give up, I'll try to save as many as I can. You will spare those who won't fight, right?" asked Asgore, to which Alisdair nodded.

It had been settled.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The grand mountain goat towered over Asgore and Alisdair, but as menacing as he appeared, Alisdair could see that he was tired of the war. "Spare the monsters…? You would spare us this late in the war?" asked King Hektor, his voice sounding incredulous.

Alisdair nodded, looking up and making eye contact although King Hektor had always scared him. "Yes sir! This silly war has claimed many monsters already, and I only want to save them. Not all humans are evil—the amount of humans who wish to save the monsters are equally strong, which is why our voice has finally been heard. Please… please surrender."

Asgore's hopes fell when his father turned around and sat on his throne. "…Never. I will hold our position, until the end." proclaimed King Hektor, noticing that a few of the guards stared at Asgore with twinkling eyes. His son took a step forward, shaking his head. "Then I will save them! I'll become King Asgore and I'll save our own instead of sending them to their deaths!"

It was silent for a brief moment, up until one of the guards threw their weapon down and walked to Asgore. It wasn't any other guard, however. It had been the Royal Guard Captain who had stood beside the king. "I support King Asgore! I will not be sent to my death!" exclaimed the fishman, his blue scales shimmering and his orange hair flowing through the top of his helmet. King Hektor stared at his guard, bewildered by his act. "You, Ulfer? You're betraying me for my son?"

The captain shook his head. "I'm sorry, King Hektor, but I have a wife with a child on its way that I need to look after. If you mean to slaughter us until Courier and Semi come up with an actual plan of action, then I'd rather stand by Asgore and retreat!"

Alisdair looked around and noticed that a few more monsters began to walk their way, standing behind Asgore who had been surprised by Ulfer's action. "Dad… please…" begged Asgore, but King Hektor's eyebrows only furrowed. "FINE! You traitors can retreat if you so wish, but I will continue to hold the line,"

Asgore took a step back, frightened by his father's outburst, but he exhaled and nodded. "Very well…"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Days passed, and all the peaceful monsters gathered in the capital, where the large mountain towered—it was the only country where Alisdair could shelter the monsters with guarantee. King Hektor had left the capital and had joined the Eastern Front in what looked to be a final push by the humans, whereas the Eastern Front seemed to still be in control of the monsters with very minimal losses. The Western Front had masses of humans and without the Scientists' help, it was no wonder it suffered heavy casualties.

It was in the early morning when a golden duck flew by, carrying a message from King Hektor.

'Asgore,

Things are looking bad here. You were right, my son. With this letter, I give you permission to ascend to the throne as King Asgore. Make me proud and save our race.

-King Hektor'

And thus, King Asgore ascended the throne. That same day, monsters celebrated under the protection of Alisdair's army. Their future had been secured, even if it meant surrendering to the humans.

Two days passedThe next day; Asgore felt the responsibilities of a king crawling on his back. Things had gone from bad, to worse.

Three ducks came by, bearing a grim messages. The first message had been written yesterday, the second messageOne of those messages, however, seemed to have been a late message sent through a new duck who may have gotten lost. The third letter was covered in blood and ash and seemed to have also been written yesterday. .

'King Asgore,

Word about the surrender hasn't reacheddidn't reach the humans, so we'll keep defending until they stop trying to kill us all. in time. **Major** casualties on the Eastern Front. King Hektor is nowhere to be found. I'm going to go check on Dr. Semi and make sure he keeps Courier in check.

-General Gerson'Gerso

'Hektor,

C Theory Experiment hazardous. Need more power. Need more time. 25% of the labs were lost to several explosions due to lack of resources needed for a grand warp zone. Mini Time Machine still functional, but unable to materialize a monster yet. Humans are close to breaking through our shields. We prepare now for actual combat.

-Courier'

'Hektor,

We're all dead. Traitor among us. WinWing…'

Asgore couldn't think of what to make of the last message, written hastily and the last word seemed to be smudged. In three daysToday, he was taking all of the remaining monsters to Mount Ebott where the mysterious song had erupted prior. All thatWhile everything was needed was to stop the remaining battleshappening, he had been worried about Toriel and regroup his people, and then therewhere she could finally be peace…at.

Was Toriel alright? Where was she? Was she in the Eastern Front? Asgore was nervous, but with Alisdair by his side, the hostile humans became docile. Going to the Eastern Front was _hell_. How could there be so much _ash and blood_? From what he heard in the reports, no human SOUL had been captured… so were humans wounded?

Alisdair had noticed Asgore's pensive expression, guessing what he had been thinking about. "Your father has all the powerful BOSS monsters fighting in the front lines… We get hurt, if that's what you're thinking. We get hurt but I'm guessing Charanjit's tactics make it hard for any human to actually die. We have battle medics out here, helping the seriously wounded if there are any. Come, Asgore. I have a feeling that Charanjit is disobeying the council's orders."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Romantian battle music: Judas (8-Bit NES REMIX)

(Listen to it at 1.25X speed! Awesomeness! or regular speed)

Link: watch?v=DkRhTCssfmU

*********°*********•*********°*********

An evil grin was plastered on the face of Charanjit, his red eyes gleaming as he dodged the several sharp bones that had been thrown his way, jumping unto one of his soldiers on the ground and using him as leverage to slash his way to the monster. "WHEN I KILL YOU, I'LL BE THE MOST POWERFUL HUMAN!" he exclaimed at the top of his lungs, the catchy sounds playing mid-battle slowing down.

"Our dance… I WON'T STOP DANCING!" Exclaimed Rometian, the grinning monster who was in the shape of a humanly figure. The body appeared to be in the shape of bones, however the figure had turned a dark shade of gray and had grown black wings and claws after dying the first time. Its eyes glowed green, and tears seemed to be gushing down its curved face. Its static grin could only widen as it cried in pain. The ghoulish skeleton wore white armor made out of bones, covering its torso, shoulders, abdomen and groin while a red flowing cape covered its back, giving Rometian the heroic look.

From a distance, Arial wailed, her shoulders pushing to the front while several monsters were pulling her away from the front assault. "MOM! DAD! DON'T DIE! I BELIEVE IN YOU! DON'T BE SORRY!"she screamed, sobbing as the monsters continued to pull on her body, none of them understanding what she meant by her last statement. No one had heard Horatia's last words, no one probably could with that low timid voice of hers. Even from far away, Arial could hear the loud battle music that had changed, slowing down from its fast tempo. Was her father trying to keep their form together? The last time they fused, they had never turned into such a menancing form before… Not to mention that after heavy attacks they'd defuse and now… it's like they melded together.

In front of Romatian, the human leader stood with a mocking smile, breathing heavily as he gripped his sword. The other humans around them had fled by now, by command of this human, and it seemed that this lone human wanted to duel.

"DIE!" shouted the human, lunging forward while the monster's green eyes glowed furiously, right hand blocking the hit with its skull shield while the left hand's lance swooped down.

The monster took a step back, staring at masses of humans all holding a line, almost as if waiting for a signal in order to ambush Romatian. A woman in a shiny armor stepped forward from the crowded line, walking towards Charanjit who breathed heavily. Her voice caught Romantia's attention. "Horatia was one of our own… until she betrayed me for him. This… this filthy monster deserves to be absolved of its impurity."

Without so much as a warning, Romantian found itself backing away, holding its shield against an array of quick attacks that his human woman made with simple daggers.

Charanjit gripped his longsword, gritting his teeth. "I TOLD EVERYONE TO STAND DOWN! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" he shouted, standing on his feet once more and going back into attacking from the front while the quick woman seemed to disappear.

"I'm commander Mara of the Eastern Forces… and I'm the one who annihilated the entire eastern front of monsters." spoke voice in the wind, but her body was nowhere in sight.

Romantian repelled Charanjit's attack, while in the back of its mind memories swirled. Mara… Mara had been Horatia's best friend up until Roman had his dinner date with Horatia. Mara had been the human who showed much promise in Dr. Courier's experiments, and Roman would always go out of his way to make her laugh… but she stopped laughing when Horatia began to show interest in Roman, until one day she just… disappeared.

Romantian's steps began to get sloppy when a few memories that were not Romans began to fill the back of its mind. _"He's a monster! If I can't have him, neither can you!" cried Mara's voice, her hand slapping across Horatia's face._

Charanjit bent his knee, holding his shoulder as he stared at the monster whose feet began to fumble, its eyes turning a warm green. "M-Mara… I didn't mean to betray your trust…" whispered the voice in such a murmur that no one could understand Romantia. From behind, Mara's eyes gleamed as she pierced her weapons at the back of monster, laughing as she jumped back and watched the monster turn around with surprised eyes, huffing. "Mara… please… I feel guilty enough about losing your friendship. We have a daughter, please… I don't want to leave her an orphan. Roman and I don't want to fight."

Mara slowly began to walk towards Charanjit, her gaze never leaving Romantian. Horatia's signature whispers, her careless whispers that captivated Roman and betrayed her at one point. That timid know-it-all who looked like she couldn't hurt a fly and who loved to dance. How easily she had seduced Roman with her whispers into dancing with him, she would never dance with anyone but Mara, her best friend because 'she was too shy'. _What a liar_. "Oh, so the almighty Horatia is sparing me, huh? Well guess what, I'm not sparing any monster _or_ half monsters. So you should just take this 'little dance' and try to kill me because in this world…"

Charanjit noticed Mara's signal to attack, and with a smirk, he charged forward with his strongest attack while Mara ran the other way. The monster's green eyes glowed stronger, thrusting the lance and holding its cracking shield. Something about Mara's words seemed to have weakened the blasted thing.

Romantian's shield held off the attack as best as it could, but suddenly Mara's whisper from behind along with the double daggers once more piercing the back caused the monster to freeze and the shield to crack.

"…it's _kill or be killed_." whispered Mara, a low grumbling laugh erupting as she took her daggers back. From the front, Charanjit's longsword had pierced the shield and had stabbed the torso of the monster. The music began to die down until it became silence.

Romantian's unstable green SOUL began to crack, the green glow around it trying to hold it together and heal it once more. **"Roman… we've died countless times now. My SOUL's power is going to give out. I just want to say, I'm sorry. I tried my best to protect our Arial and your kind as best as I could…"** whispered Horatia's voice inside of the monsters head. Blood dripped from the wounds, and the green glow of the eyes began to die down. "We're sorry Arial… We can't promise another starry night together…" whispered the monster as its body began to levitate, the green cracking SOUL rising up as the cracks began to split it apart. The green SOUL rose from the body of the monster and it cracked into millions of pieces from its overuse, and the monster body burst into dust that flew across the battle field with a strong gust, spreading across miles—a sparkling green dust.

The two human commanders stood covered in blood and ash, their eyes meeting and sparking with rivalry. "So, Charanjit Takashki can barely stand on his own two legs after defeating the most powerful monster, eh?" laughed Mara, putting away her daggers as she stared at the angry man before her, standing tall and holding its open wounds. "…and the 'Mara' I've heard so much about is finally fighting in the winning side of the hemisphere," Charanjit shot back, spitting away bloody and trying to get the ash and blood off his face, but it only made a mess. "Tch. You haven't heard, but… I singlehandedly led our small army into the heart of the monster lands. You could say, I nearly killed them all," laughed the woman with that evil gleam in her eyes, her hands grasping her locks of hair as she stared at the ash that covered the battlefield. "Those stupid ghouls thought they could hide behind their shields," she laughed almost in a demented way which caused Charanjit to take a step back. "…but I showed them. If you can't handle the ash on you right now, you wouldn't have been able to handle the amount of Ash in the Eastern Front," she continued to laugh, turning to the wall of humans in the distance. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO AFTER THE FLEEING MONSTERS AND DESTROY THEM! PURIFY THE WORLD OF THEIR EXISTANCE!" she bellowed, her eyes large looked quite insane for a moment. The fearsome sole commander of the Eastern Front was just as the rumors had described her: insanely strong.

Several minutes had passed, perhaps half an hour before Charanjit was able to talk. That woman had stood there, trying to find anything left behind by Romantian, almost like she needed a memento of some sorts, or a battle trophy. "They say monsters in the Eastern Front are evil, that they eat humans and spread diseases. That they have metal castles and…" began Charanjit, but the woman glanced at him with that creepy smile of hers and he had shut up.

"Those damned ghouls were smart. They never shared their information with anyone they couldn't leash. They experimented on us, 'harmless experiments', but I knew, I KNEW they had to have darker experiments. Whatever it was, whatever they were doing… they blew it all up. They almost blew up my army hadn't I noticed their trap, the bastards. Tell me, Takashki… how well do you think our children will get along? Will they end up finding themselves on this battlefield, daggers and swords ready to kill each other? Because the East intends to take these lands, we're far more superior to your… _kind_."

The blood within Charanjit began to boil. "Somewhere along the line, I think our numbers will overwhelm you all, and well… I'll end up _enslaving you_." he sneered, spitting afterwards and noticing her amused expression. "My heirs will be walking armies, I'd love to see what they'll accomplish," she spat back, taking a step back when she noticed a monster walking alongside Alisdair in the distance. Was that their miserable king?

Charanjit clenched his fist. That stupid paladin was here to stop him. No doubt the council would slap his hands for having disobeyed orders, but _man was it worth it_. That last monster would surely make him the most fearsome human alive… then again, Mara too would benefit from the kill, having been there.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Into the far away distance, General Gerson gripped Arial's hands. "Listen here, missy! They were protecting you and every one from of those evil humans, so don't waste their efforts, do ya hear?"

Arial sniffled, embracing the turtle as she wept into his shoulder. "I WAS RIGHT THERE WITH THEM, GERSON! WHY DID THEY TELL EVERYONE TO BACK AWAY?! WHY DID THEY ORDER THOSE MONSTERS TO TAKE ME WITH THEM?! I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH THEM, THEN WE COULD'VE…"

Gerson shook his head. "What, died together? Listen to yourself, Arial! No parent would ever want to see their child die! My children's ashes are spread across that battlefield it hurts to know their gone because they had a bright future ahead of them, just like you. Listen Arial… I may not be a complete ditzhead like Roman or as smart and shy like Horatia, but I'll be here for you, child. I don't take apprentices lightly and… you're special to me. Let's survive this war together, and make sure that we make our loved ones proud, alright?" spoke the soft turtle's voice, soothing away the pain for a minute. Their ash covered bodies eventually began to migrate with the monsters, all fleeing the battlefield with masses of humans at their tail. They would catch up soon, and if that happened… Well, Gerson didn't want to think about it. He had to protect Arial, but as the only remaining BOSS monster, he was sure he'd be massacred by the human masses alone, and Arial would jump in, he was sure. No, they had to get away. He had heard that King Asgore and Alisdair were here, somewhere, and that they would stop the human army. He hoped they could. The Transporting Duck could only carry so many… the giant duck wouldn't be able to carry all the remaining monsters here, and it'd several hours to safely transport everyone, unlike the survivors from the East. Those very few survivors…

Then… there had been Gaster. The sole survivor of the Lab explosions… something told Gerson that Gaster was hiding something, but he didn't know what.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

After watering the last of the golden flowers, Asgore had prepared himself a delicious cup of golden flower tea. He would have ate a pastry, except as usual, he was still unable to properly bake his favorite pie: Butterscotch-Cinnamon. His rendition of the pie was… awful. Just _awful_ , it made him sick last time he tried baking it. Snail Pie too was a hard pie to make—it too tasted awful.

Did Toriel miss him? Did she still remember him, he wondered? 'Together Forever', she had said… oh, how he wished he could go back to those carefree days before the war. Just two young lovers, strolling underneath the night sky, holding hands and enjoying each other's company.

Then again, he was sure a lot of monsters wished they could return back to a time before the war. Countless families and friends had been lost… entire families turned to ash.

"King Fluffybuns… might I join you?" asked a familiar old voice, his smile proving to be contagious. "Why, of course Gerson, please… come and sit on down, I'd much rather stand," Asgore smiled back, standing up from his throne and letting the old turtle sit there instead. "That's so kind of you, Asgore... you know, King Hektor would have never believed that I would grow old and see so many generations pass by. I've seen so much, heard so much, and said so much in this lifetime… it's hard to believe we're just one SOUL away from freedom, eh?"

Asgore's expression darkened. "…let me get you a cup of tea, Gerson," he mumbled, disappearing and leaving the old turtle in the throne room. "Aye… hard to believe I had to say goodbye to so many young'ens, including the young prince… I wonder sometimes how different things might have been,"

Returning with a fresh cup of golden flower tea, Asgore gave the small plate to Gerson who smiled took the vanilla cookie. "Vanilla cookies again, Asgore? You sure you don't want help? Bwa ha ha," asked Gerson with a chuckle, sipping on the tea before taking another bite of the cookie.

"No, it's fine Gerson… so what brings you here today?" asked Asgore, leaning on the throne chair as he sipped on his tea.

Gerson cleared his throat before speaking, "I believe the eighth SOUL is wandering about the underground. I've heard from several monsters that a human is trotting about, and that it's currently making friends… I just wanted let you know."

Asgore's expression once more fell, his back tingling with the guilty sensation. "…ah, is that so? Has the human…?"

Gerson was midway to finishing his second cookie when Asgore's timid question caught him off guard. "No, the human hasn't fought back as far as I know. I haven't met the human myself, but something tells me I might soon. Until then, I hope you're ready, Asgore. I'd best be going now,"

Leaving behind the goat king, Gerson made his way to his shop. Asgore watched the elderly turtle walk off just as easily as he had snuck up to him. Even after all these years, Gerson still looked out for him, even though his old position as General was no longer relevant. Gerson didn't understand why he felt the world on his shoulders, but it was best he didn't know. After all, the disappearance of nearly half the monster population was his fault to some degree—if only he had properly stopped Gaster from working after Arial's death, then perhaps… And now, it was his responsibility to kill the humans that fell now that Gaster was gone and he had done it in his place before all this.

"Just… one more…" Asgore whispered to himself, his hands trembling and dropping the tea cup whilst he covered his anguished face and his hands gripped his locks of hair. "I promised to get us out, Tory… I just… need one more…"

Feeling a cold gust of air beside him, Asgore turned to see nothing, but something told him it had to be a friend. Alisdair? Gaster? Both great friends who would have patted him on the back if they had seen him in this sorry state.

" _Hey Fluff, you okay there?" asked Alisdair with a smile, his right hand patting his back while in his left hand he carried a tea cup of chamille tea._

" _Asgore…? Perhaps you're best relaxing a bit. Here, I brought a cup of coffee; it's the best remedy to late night researching. Are you sure you wish to accompany me?" asked Gaster, his right hand gently placed on Asgore's shoulders while his left hand carried a coffee stirred with cream and sugar as Asgore would have liked it._

Sliding down the throne chair, Asgore rolled his body so that his back was against the chair, his eyes looking in the empty space of the throne room. "I lost one best friend to a war, and another to madness… where does that leave me?" Asgore asked himself, remembering Toriel's outburst when she had found out about Gaster's ingenious plan.

" _WHAT?! NO! Asgore, Chara was our CHILD! You would kill another human who could have been Chara?!" Screamed Toriel, throwing the nearest object which had been a vase and running out of the throne room in a fit. Asgore's forearm hurt from the vase, unable to chase her even if he wanted to—his legs were immobile for the moment. "Tory, the humans KILLED Asriel! Do you think they'll HELP us get out of here? If they do, they'll massacre us again!"_

" _You… you've gone mad from power, just like your father and the war!"_

Asgore sighed to himself, looking at the golden flowers that had been planted. Why couldn't things be simple and innocent, just like these golden flowers?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Entering the small cave shop, Frisk looked around the wondrous neat trinkets that were displayed almost proudly. Between looking at all the neat stuff, she stumbled upon an emblem that she thought looked familiar for some reason. Why did it look familiar?

"Woah there!"

Startled, Frisk jumped and turned around, her nearly closed eyes staring at the frail turtle before her. The two stared at each other, the tension rising with each passing second. The turtle held a magnifying glass with which he seemed to inspect her. Why did it feel like the turtle was judging her?

"… I've got some neat junk for sale."

A wide open grin replaced the turtle's serious judgmental expression, and an easy going atmosphere seemed to fill the cave room.

Frisk stared at the turtle, her flustered cheeks slowly fading back to their original color. "Um…" she managed to mumble, her right hand fumbling with the bow on her hair.

"Hm? Anything you wanna know?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"…tell me about yourself…" Frisk whispered, watching as the turtle seemed to relax, walking over to a stool and sitting down. "Ah… well, I've been around a long time. Maybe too long." he sighed, sounding as though living long wasn't something he wanted. He noticed Frisk's slumping shoulders and her concerned frown, and he smiled, laughing as he continued, "Studying history sure is easy when you've lived through so much of it yourself! Wa ha ha!"

The two continued to interact while at the entrance of the shop floated the dark void that was Gaster, watching the old general talk to the human most casually when he would have normally attacked it back in the old days. "Age has softened you, hasn't it?" asked Gaster with his electronic voice, floating beside the two that continued to talk about the Delta Rune.

The more Gaster listened to their conversation, the more frustrated Gaster became. Why was this human interested in the history of the underground? Why couldn't Gerson just crush the human's body with his hammer of justice? Why couldn't anyone in these timelines attack the human while they had the chance?

…why did these timelines have to give the human the upper hand? Floating away from the two, Gaster passed the cave walls and wondered to himself if perhaps the other dimensions could interact with this timeline. Those other… alternate dimensions his father had been experimenting with.

The other Sans and Papyrus… Gaster had briefly seen them all when he fell down into the CORE. Their edgy clothes, their nasty sneers… it filled Gaster with Hope for his sons here in this timeline. If in another dimension his sons could turn out to be powerful monsters, then it could be possible that his sons in this timeline could hold untapped potential.

And yet, the thought of his sons changing personalities scared him. What were the other dimensions like? Were they created when he tore open the portal into the timeline?

"Of course they were!" Gaster exclaimed in exasperation, his mind waging war against itself once more—such was the norm in a world where only he existed.

From behind, Gerson's voice sounded off. "Be careful out there, kid!"

Turning around, Gaster Froze as the human walked towards him, passing through him with a big grin on her face, looking like she was happy to make a new friend. Passing through Gaster, she continued to walk, almost as though she were skipping until she suddenly went limp and fell aside.

Gaster tilted his head, floating to the human and wondering if she decided to drop dead. Well… that would be a nice change of pace. As he approached, the body seemed to jolt and the limbs began to move in unnatural ways, getting up as he hands twitched.

"…finally…" the girl exhaled, turning around with bright red eyes.

Gaster shuttered, floating back while anger swelled inside of him. "…those eyes…!" he snarled in wingding, but he composed himself when Sans walked through him with his easy going expression.

"chara, i thought we had a deal," Sans chuckled, winking with his right eye socket while his left eye glowed blue.

Using Frisk's body, Chara shrugged and walked towards Sans, swinging her hips as she looked forward with that maniacal smile. "Oh Sansy~! I couldn't help myself, with what, Frisk being so close to you and Paps. I'm starting to get jealous," she teased, twirling the short hair with her fingers as her bright red eyes fluttered with those rosy cheeks of hers.

Watching the events unfold, Gaster's Blasters appeared and shot beams at the human to no avail, as always. Screeching obscenities in wingding, Gaster plopped down unto the cave's ground and watched the scene continue. Whatever was happening… this was entirely new. He had never witnessed this event, not in any other timeline at least. Something about this timeline seemed to be changing, or continuing to change by some unseen force it seemed. If Grandpa Semi was still alive, Gaster was sure he'd be blabbing about the unseen 'God' that he so firmly believed in. Then again… sometimes Gaster felt as though someone really was toying with their existence.

…

Sans laughed with a low voice, his hand moving down and watching the red SOUL turn blue as Frisk's body hit the ground hard. Somehow, being in control like this made Sans feel good, even though inside his mind he was lecturing himself. Even if Chara was controlling Frisk's body, Frisk was still inside, dormant; He needed to be gentle.

Chara chuckled, getting up as she shook her head, shrugging. "Ah, it seems Sansy really is getting soft on her… But Sansy, I want to play, and I don't like it when you go easy on me. F..i..g..h..t.. m..e."

Sans could feel sweat building up once more as he heard Frisk's voice turn into a demonic one, his hands feeling as though they would twitch at any moment and they'd swing Frisk around like a rag doll once more. No… he couldn't do that anymore and yet the urge to do so like so many times before…

Sans' eye sockets went dark, and he could only dodge Chara as she would lunge herself at him, his hands behind his back as he continued to dodge. "What's wrong, Sansy?!" asked Chara's demonic voice in a mocking manner, but soon, Sans had another reason to dodge.

White pellets began to appear and they targeted Sans, all while he was dodging Chara's attacks. "huh?" grunted Sans, quick in dodging all the attacks. Chara paused for a moment, confused as well before she realized that several circles of white pellets had surrounded her in various levels which made it impossible for her to dodge. "…what do you want, Asriel?" she said to herself in a low growl, feeling the SOUL pull the body up high with a quick movement from Sans.

Chara stared at Sans for a moment, contemplating the thought that _Sans had just saved her_.

Wait.

No he didn't; he saved Frisk. Of course, why would he save her…

Hitting the ground hard, Chara got up, but realized her legs felt wobbly once more. "Shit." she hissed, falling unto her hands first and looking up, watching as an array of attacks continued to chase after Sans.

"He sure is following the human a lot lately," chuckled the bright yellow flower that had appeared beside Chara. "You…" she hissed once more, using all her strength to push herself from the ground. Flowey grinned with its teeth barred, those eyes piercing right through her. "K..i..l..l.. o..r.. b…e... k…i…l…l…e…d!"

Chara's eyes widened, rolling aside and dodging an array of pellets that cracked when they hit the ground. Seeds. "Kill or be killed, eh? FINE!" roared Chara, her determination moving the reluctant limbs as she jumped towards Flowey, her hands swatting away the razor sharp seeds while her HP decreased. Flowey laughed, but his laughter was cut short when Chara reached one of his petals and ripped it from his head. She could feel the mortal pain, but a sudden rush of combined DETERMINATION seemed to hold her SOUL intact.

Flowey's uproar caught Sans' attention, and he immediately warped back with pellets in pursuit.

Towering over Flowey, Chara laughed as she ripped the flower petal into pieces in front of Flowey her hands reaching once more towards the Flower but instead he had disappeared into the earth. Chara turned to Sans, and just as quickly her blue SOUL had crashed back down unto the earth, missing one last attack from Flowey just in time.

Chara opened her eyes, looking up to Sans' skull which was full of worry and sweat. "hey kiddo, come back to me," he urged, his bony hands taking in Frisk's limp body. Although by now Chara had closed her eyes, she could feel the way Sans embraced her, his head nuzzling her hair as though to comfort her.

Chara floated in the dark foggy void, her long lean body unscathed unlike Frisk's real body which had been reduced to 1 HP after Flowey's attacks. "…Sans…?" whimpered Frisk behind her, locked inside a platinum cage that seemed to be corroding away. Tch. Chara smirked, floating to the cage and looking inside, staring at the little girl's half closed eyes, her tender hands feeling the cold cage floor in confusion. "Well, I suppose I can't get caught. You're free to go, twerp… for now. Better not remember the Delta Rune, or I'll regain control," giggled Chara, her porcelain hand touching the lock on the cage and watching as the cage burst into stardust, the little girl glowing a bright blue which then in turn turned red before she disappeared back into her body, leaving Chara alone in the dark empty space whose faraway stars never seemed to penetrate the thick fog that coveted her world.

The sounds of rushing water slowly began to fill Frisk's ears, and her eyes opened just a bit, but enough to see her surroundings. Her body ached, and her hands felt so many cuts—too many to move her hands without crying.

"hey kiddo, you're finally awake. here, i got you a little somethin'. you uh… i was walking to work when i found you on the floor, did something happen?" asked Sans, who sat beside Frisk on the dark cave floor. She tried to move, but instead she found herself whimpering from the pain of it all. What did happen? She remembered she met Gerson and then… then something…

Sans' hands picked her up, a sudden strength that was unfamiliar to Frisk. Since when was Sans strong? She was now sitting up and leaning against him, his left arm around her while his right arm held a hot dog. "eat up, it'll do you good."

She looked up towards him, noticing that his eye sockets were dark and his grin was pretty small. Did something bad happen? Did he know what happened to her?

Noticing the frown on Frisk along with her furrowed eyebrows, Sans lightened up and light returned to his eyes. "…sorry, I'm just worried about you, with what, randomly falling down and all. Water falling's pretty normal in these parts, and I _suppose_ you are made up of water—you're not going to turn into a water monster, are ya?" he joked, watching her small hands take the SOUL food and eat it. "A water monster? Like Undyne?" she asked, strength returning to her voice and her cuts and scrapes disappearing as she continued to eat the SOUL food.

Smiling, Sans turned his head away, looking into the distance where a field of echo flowers were. "nah, undyne's a fish lady. say, were you going to her house? maybe i could walk you there, i mean, my next job is on the way, heh,"

To Frisk, it did indeed sound like Sans was worried about her. His distant look seemed to give it away even though she knew he was trying to hide it. Why was he worried about her? What happened? Why was Sans always so distant sometimes…?

Snuggling into his blue jacket, she buried her face into the white fur as she embraced Sans, her energy returning to her. "…kiddo?" he asked in a slight surprised tone, a small blue blush creeping unto his cheeks. It was the same exact thing he would do with his mother at night before falling asleep. "… do you… miss your dad…?" Sans asked, almost biting his tongue if he had one. Dad? Seriously? Why did that roll off so smoothly, why didn't he think his words over?

"Papa… yes, I miss him a lot. I miss him so much. He would take me to so many places, and we'd do so many things together… but… it's okay. Papyrus has been taking care of me, just like you,"

San's eye sockets widened, turning his head as he looked down at the human that continued to embrace him with that radiating warmth of hers. Taking care of her… Sans hadn't really thought about it this way. Both he and Papyrus were beginning to take a fatherly role towards taking care of Frisk it seemed, and Sans hadn't really... Why did he feel so guilty all of a sudden?

The sins of his past mistakes, that's what.

The blue blush deepened, his left arm slowly gripping Frisk as they embraced each other. A timeline ago, he was hell bent on smearing all of her blood across the judgement hall. And now, here he was, holding that same little girl and being like a father to her. Heck, if anything happened to Frisk, he was sure he'd beat himself up after killing whatever hurt her. Was this how his parents felt about him and Papyrus?

Before deepening his thoughts on the subject, Frisk's head pulled away, staring at him with those sparkling eyes of hers. With widened eyes, she smiled at him and his nonexistent heart melted. How could she so easily hug him and smile at him after everything he's done to her? Well, she couldn't remember but… but what if she remembered one day?

"Thanks Sans… we should get going. Papyrus must be waiting for me,"

She pulled herself away from him, leaving him in his confused state to stare at her. "w-wait!" he shouted in a desperate voice, jumping to his feet and grasping her hand, his eyes meeting hers and his blush covering the entirety of his skull now. He needed to tell her the truth. She needed to know everything.

" **Mother of god, what now? Say something! SAY SOMETHING!"** Sans screamed internally, his chest heaving as Frisk stared at him with confusion in her eyes. "…yes Sans?"

"…c-c-call me daddy?" he choked on his words, wondering what the hell was that. How hard was it to say that Frisk had the power to RESET and LOAD, and that several timelines ago he had wiped the floor with her body while Chara controlled her?

Frisk busted into laughter, her hands grasping both of Sans' boney hands as her eyes twinkled with happiness. "Sans… thank you... I… …gracias (thank you)," she whispered, her eyes watering as she embraced Sans once more with a smile on, feeling his strong bony arms wrap around her silently. "…Em- _pa-nada_. (bread with stuffing)"

Frisk let go, scrunching her face as she stared at Sans with confusion. "…empanada?" Since when did Sans know about Mexican food?

" _ **Aww shit**_ **! I MESSED UP THE PUN! Abort! ABORT!"** Sans' mind screamed, laughing casually as he shrugged. Those Spanish self-lessons needed more work if he was going to try to make puns it seemed. "uh… late to work! shortcut!"

Without a moment to lose, Sans began to run as fast as he could without dragging Frisk, trying to clear his mind off the terrible pun. His boney hands were sweating, and he knew that Frisk wouldn't leave him alone if they stopped if even for a moment. He could already foretell what her questions would be, including why he was sweating so much. Without thinking much on it, he took her near Undyne's home and let go of her hand, continuing to run as fast as he could so that she wouldn't catch up to him, going into the garbage dump. Yep. He was not about to explain his Spanish lessons to Frisk. Perhaps the Spanish database on the computers were outdated?

…

Beside Frisk, Gaster stood watching as his son shamelessly ran away. "Daddy?!" he exclaimed once the human had begun to walk towards the fish house. Several obscenities were then exclaimed in his native wingding language. This day had to be one of the worst in this timeline.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"OHO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!" Exclaimed Papyrus, standing near Undyne's house. Walking towards him, Frisk passes the angry training dummy—he sure does look quite angry!

Hurrying beside Papyrus, she stops and stares at him, her hand still quite sweaty from holding unto Sans' hand. For a lazy bones, he sure did run fast. He seemed so nervous… she wondered what was wrong with him?

"ARE YOU READY TO HANG OUT WITH UNDYNE?" asked Papyrus, looking at the human who seemed absent minded at the moment. With a quick nod from Frisk, Papyrus grinned and continued talking. "I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE YOU TWO GREAT FRIENDS! OKAY! STAND BEHIND ME!"

Doing as she was told, Frisk stood behind the tall skeleton, her heart beating faster with anticipation. Would Undyne really be her friend? After killing her so many times… would Undyne really give up trying to kill her and be her friend?

As always, Chara's voice echoed in her mind whenever she had doubts. **"I wouldn't trust anyone who's killed me before… but you know, I didn't have the neat power to come back after dying so…"**

Dread filled Frisk, feeling slightly faint at hearing Chara's voice inside her head, but Papyrus' whispers brought her back to reality and thankfully, to a better state of being.

"PSST… MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS! SHE LOVES THESE!"

Passing Frisk a paper covered bone, Papyrus proceeded to knock on the door, grinning with delight as Undyne opened the door.

Peering on Papyrus' side, Frisk noticed that Undyne was out of her battle suit and seemed to be wearing casual clothes, and her long red hair seemed so relaxed, much like her—what a change of character!

"Hi Papyrus! Ready for you extra private, one-on-one training?" she greeted with a smile.

Uh oh. Private, one-on-one training? Was this really such a good idea…?

Papyrus grinned. "YOU BET I AM! AND I BROUGHT A FRIEND!"

Stepped aside, Papyrus grinned, watching as Frisk stood there frozen in place, staring at Undyne with fearful eyes. Undyne smiled with her eyes closed. "Hi, I don't think we've…"

Opening her eyes, she looked at the human and words stopped rolling off her tongue. An uneasy moment full of awkwardness and tension overtook the area, and Papyrus stood there with that big grin on his face, his eyes staring at the two with a hopeful expression. Moments passed before Undyne could finally bring herself to saying something to break the ice.

"Why don't. You two. Come in?" she managed to force out with a smile.

Papyrus' grin turned into absolute bliss, dancing around momentarily as Undyne walked into her home. He seemed so elated… but Frisk was still slightly uncomfortable. Oh well… she was doing this for Papyrus! Yes! Knowing that Papyrus believed she could become friends with Undyne… it filled her with DETERMINATION!

Following Papyrus, Frisk disappeared into the fish home while Chara's ghost sighed in utter disgust. This little underground tale was become too much of a drag.

Once inside the home, Papyrus smiled and stood beside Frisk. "OH! HERE UNDYNE! MY FRIEND BROUGHT YOU A GIFT FOR YOU… ON THEIR OWN!" Taking the wrapped bone, he handed it to Undyne who seemed flaggerblasted by the entire situation. "Uh… thanks? … I'll uh… put it with the others."

Frisk watched as Undyne walked to the counter, opening a cabit which seemed to be full of bones. Oh boy. Noticing that Undyne seemed to be thinking, it made Frisk all the more nervous. Was this really a good idea?

Undyne looked at Papyrus, noticing how hopeful he was. He really wanted her to get along with this human, huh? Why? What was so special about this human? Well… she did help her but… still! Ah… but Papyrus really wanted her to be friends with the human. She had to at least try to like the human, for Papyrus' sake. She owed him that much, at least. Plus… she was sure Arial would want this too. Like mother, like son. "So… are we ready to start?" she asked.

Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets. "UH… WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! YOU TWO HAVE FUN!"

Frisk gasped, her hands trying to catch Papyrus' hands. He was not going to abandon her! But he was too quick. He dashed to the window, crashing through it and running off like a thief in the night. Frisk could only stare at the broken window in disbelief… did he really just… excuse himself to the bathroom and jumped out the window? Perhaps Papyrus hadn't witnessed the many times Undyne killed her, but even so, he couldn't just abandon her!

She slowly turned to Undyne, fear overtaking her. What was she going to do?! Undyne stared at her with what seemed to be the same exact expression Frisk had. Was she too uncomfortable by this?

Undyne turned her head. "So why are YOU here?" She asked bitterly. "To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? IS THAT IT?" she asked, looking down at the floor before looking up to Frisk, her eyes flashing with anger as though she was ready to fight with her.

Opposite of Undyne, Frisk stood taken away by her words. Was that what she really thought? "No." Frisk firmly stated, her throat burning all of a sudden and being unable to add to it. Frisk hated it when her throat burned whenever she tried to talk more—it was like someone was gripping her throat so that she was unable to talk sometimes.

Undyne's ears, or gills, perked up, but she looked down once more. "Then why are you here?" she asked, her eyes widening as she throught to herself. "Wait a minute! You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? RIGHT?" she asked in a demanding tone, her eyes narrowed as she approached Frisk who stared back her with her droopy eyes.

Frisk fought the burning sensation on her throat and answered, "Yes."

Bursting into laughter, Undyne exclaimed with sarcasm, " _Really_? How delightful! I accept! Let's all frolic in the fields of friendship!" She laughed, up until she noticed the smile on Frisk's face. She sighed, adding with a forceful tone. "…NOT! Why would I EVER want to be friends with YOU? If you weren't my houseguest, I'd beat you up right now!"

Frisk's smile disappeared and was replaced with worry once more. Well… at least she was safe up until she wasn't a houseguest anymore it seemed…

Undyne saw the change in expression and felt bad for some strange reason. She cleared her throat. " _You're_ the enemy of everyone's hopes and dreams… I WILL NEVER BE YOUR FRIEND." Undyne explained, feeling compelled to do so. She looked to the door and firmly added, "NOW GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Frisk took a step back, her heart pounding against her chest. She was beginning to feel faint once more, that is, until Papyrus' head showed itself through the broken window.

"DANG! WHAT A SHAME…"

Frisk and Undyne turned to the window, both surprised by his comeback. Had he been spying on them?!

"I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS YOU." He added with a sad expression that seemed to be guilt tripping Undyne. Why did he have to be so… emotional like Arial?!

With a glint in his eyes, his expression changed into a sly one, narrowing his eyes as he shrugged. "BUT I GUESS… I UNDERESTIMATED HER. SHE'S NOT UP TO _THE CHALLENGE_." And just like that, he ran off once more, holding his giggles inside for fear Undyne would know what he was trying to do.

Undyne's eyes sparked. "A… CHALLENGE?! What?! Papyrus! Wait a second…!" But of course, Papyrus was long gone. "Darnit! He thinks that I can't be friends with YOU?!" she growled, turning to Frisk who seemed on the edge of fainting with what being so pale.

"Fuhuhu! What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day! I'll show him… Listen up, human! We're not just going to be friends… We're going to be…"

Frisk trembled a bit, taking long breaths as she tried her best not to fall down on the spot. What was wrong with her? It was like her fears were manifesting and trying to take a hold of her body somehow. She looked at Undyne who got closer, a wild smile spread across her face. "BESTIES." Her hands gripped her blue cheeks as she continued, "I'll make you like me so much; you won't be able to think of anyone else! Fuhuhuhu! It's the perfect REVENGE!"

Frisk could feel the atmosphere change once a gentle smile overtook Undyne. The pressure on Frisk's chest and body seemed to lift the more confident she felt, her droopy eyes looking at Undyne as she happily said, "Why don't you have a seat?"

The room she was in felt familiar for some reason now that she look a closer look. It was as though she had been here a loooooong time ago, but that was impossible, right? It wasn't a LOAD either because she would have remembered, right? So… why…?

" **Hey kid, you should sit down,"** Chara grumbled inside her head, breaking her concentration. Startled, Frisk turned to the dining table and sat down, looking at Undyne who continued to smile. She seemed friendly enough… "Comfortable? I'll get you something to drink."

Ingredients were spread across the counter, and immediately something told Frisk the Soda looked kinda funky. She was about to get off the stool when suddenly Undyne's expression changed, and a blue spear came hurdling towards the table. Frisk squeaked in fear, staying in place as the spear broke the table in half. "HEY! DON'T GET UP! YOU'RE THE GUEST! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!" she shouted, and Frisk only nodded in fear, gulping. **"P-P-Papyrus… why did you leave me alone…"** Frisk thought to herself, trembling in place and once more feeling faint.

Chara smirked **. "Hey little sis, you seem shaken up… wanna let me take care of Undyne?"**

Frisk took in a deep breath, biting her lip in anxiety. Undyne's expression once more changed when she realized the human seemed to go pale once more. Ugh. Was she scaring off the human already? "Um…" she began, her hand rubbing the nape of her neck. "why not just point to what you want? You can use the spear if you want,"

The blue spear felt heavy in Frisk's small hands, and it trembled to her anxiety. What would mama say to calm her down? " _Mija, ten un té para los nervios_ " ( _Child, have a tea for the nerves_ ) her mother would say… but why would her mother say that so often, Frisk wondered? Was she always this easily scared, or nervous? The more Frisk began to wonder about her past, the more her head began to hurt for some strange reason. Frisk's eyes wondered to Undyne who continued to smile, but a twitch indicated that her patience was running out. Frisk held the spear with all her strength, moving it in the direction of the tea.

Undune sighed in relief, a few sweat drops dripping down her forehead. Finally! The human seemed so slooow. "…tea huh? Coming right up!"

…

In the corner of the room, Chara's ghost watched with impatience. She turned to the broken window, and she could see Papyrus hiding, watching the events unfold with that stupid smile of his. God, he was more annoying than Arial. To her right hand side, that irritating bright light began to appear, and with it, Florencia.

"Come to bother me again? Get lost," Chara's hostile voice growled, glaring at the angelic woman who shrugged. "Porque? (why?) I have as much right as you do to look over little Frisk, right? You've been pushing her buttons too much lately. Will you please ease up on her?" Florencia asked nicely.

With a rumbling laugh, Chara shook her head and turned to the woman with a wicked smile. "PUH-LEASE! Why would I want to 'ease up' on her? It's not my fault she's so easy to dominate, with what, the _horrible_ lifestyle you two lived in the past. It makes it so easy for me to conjure up nightmares."

Her mocking laughter made Florencia shudder. Why was this girl _so disturbed_? "I meant, if you could ease up on the body possessions. I can see that you're hurting her physically more often," Florencia asked sternly, crossing her arms as she looked at the teenager who continued to laugh.

"Nope! The more control I have over her, the easier it'll be to make myself home," she winked, her nose and ears twitching as the tea kettle began to whistle. That smell…

Chara smirked, holding in her anger. "…golden flower tea, huh?"

Florencia sighed, her eyes glancing down at the broken window and noticing the way his eyes seemed to shine with hope. Upon closer inspection, the white glow seemed to in shape of stars that from far away seemed to look like his average circular shape. So, Ariel wasn't kidding about the eyes—his eyes really did turn into stars whenever he was really enthusiastic, but no one could notice unless they focused on his eyes, the glow really did make it seem like a circle from farther away.

Florencia turned her attention to the table, where Undyne's strong hands slammed the cup of tea in front of Frisk. Chara had now floated next to the table, staring at the cup of tea with that pensive expression of hers. Sometimes, it was at times like these that Florencia thought Chara could one day redeem herself.

…

Undyne chuckled, sweat continuing to form the more nervous she got. Was she doing this right? "You know… It's kind of strange you chose THAT tea. Golden Flower Tea… that's ASGORE's favorite kind."

Frisk's burned tongue was stuck out momentarily, breathing in as she braced herself once more for the hot tea. Even though it was still hot, the taste of it—something about the taste of it made her want more. Her body seemed to crave the taste, and so, she took another sip of it, her lips burning momentarily as the liquid slid down her throat, and a sudden rush of warmth and happiness seemed to overfill her.

Undyne sighed, looking down to the side of the table. "Actually, now that I think about it… You kind of remind me of him," she chuckled, looking at Frisk who seemed to be taking turns between drinking the tea and then sticking out her tongue with her eyes closed with a goofy smile plastered on her face.

Oh. My. God. Undyne laughed, exclaiming, "You're both TOTAL WEENIES!"

Frisk smiled, her eyes opening up just a slightly bit more. It seemed she finally did something right?

Glancing at the human, Undyne sighed once more. "…sort of."

As much as she credited Arial for much of her early training and aspirations, it was undoubtable that Asgore took up a hefty chunk out of Undyne's life. Once Arial had… died, and disappointed her, Undyne needed someone else to look up to. Someone to bring meaning to 'Hero' once more. Asgore… he had noticed how she had fallen in depression after Arial's death. Who was going to train her? Who was going to push her to her limits now? …who was going to be her best friend?

She'd fight monsters nearly every day for the smallest of reasons after the incident. Arial was wrong. Picking fights was all Undyne could do, it was the best part of growing strong! The more she fought and got angry, the more respect monsters seemed to give her, or the more they'd let her have her way. There wasn't a monster she couldn't beat… that was until…

Undyne smiled, her gills lowering as she spoke. "Y'know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid. Once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight ASGORE. Emphasis on TRIED," She chuckled. "I couldn't land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back!"

She closed her eye, thinking back on the moment. In comparison to Arial who would always fight back when sparring with her, Asgore never seemed interested in doing so. Her friendship with Arial seemed mutual, but with Asgore… Asgore never returned any blows. She didn't understand the meaning behind his pacifism, whereas with Arial, she knew that they both loved to fight as a form of playing around. For Arial, fighting meant keeping up her father's legacy and dreams of joining the Royal Guard, much like Undyne's dreams about being the best Royal Guard Captain like her father, Ulfer.

Asgore never once landed a hit on her, and yet… "I was so humiliated… Afterwards, he apologized and said something goofy… 'Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?'"

Frisk tilted her head, contining to sip on the tea.

Undyne's smile widened. "I said yes, and from then on, he trained me. One day, during training, I finally knocked him down. I felt… bad." Her smile disappeared, thinking back on the day. "But… he was beaming..."

Laughter once more erupted from Undyne. "I have never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked! Anyway… long story short, he kept training me… And now I'm the head of the Royal Guard!"

Frisk stared at Undyne, noticing a blush on her cheeks as she beamed. "So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight!"

Undyne's laughter began to die down, thinking back on her father and Arial. The both of them had taught Undyne a lot in the early stages of her life, and the both of them had been the Royal Guard Captains too, huh? Arial had been set on making Undyne's dreams come true, and was set on training her up until… She was really determined, wasn't she? Much like Papyrus.

Heh. Papyrus. "… like uh, Papyrus," Undyned continued, laughing nervously. "But um, to be honest… I don't know if… I can ever let Papyrus into the Royal Guard." she said almost in a whisper, closing her eyes. That goofball… he was almost exactly like his mother, if not worse.

She opened her eyes wide opened, staring at the human who looked concerned. "Don't tell him I said that!" she snapped, sighing as she looked down once more.

"It's just… Well… I mean, it's not that he's weak. He's actually pretty freaking tough! It's just that… he's…" Undyne whispered, closing her eyes. " **He's just like his mother.** " she thought to herself.

Instead, Undyne said, "He's too innocent and nice!"

Opposite of Undyne, Frisk seemed to be upset. She seemed to be trying to say something, but instead she sat there quietly with that angry look, almost as if to say, 'Why are you stalling his dreams?'

To Undyne, her silence and expression was more than enough to make her feel guilty. "I mean, look, he was SUPPOSED to capture you… And he ended up being FRIENDS with you instead! I could NEVER send him into battle!" she argued, biting her lip at the end of her statement as her eyes watered momentarily. Knowing she was vulnerable with… ew, feelings, she closed her eyes instead to regain control of her feelings. "He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds," she whispered bitterly, swallowing her feelings aside. "That's part of why… I started teaching him how to cook, you know?" she chuckled with that bitter tone of hers, remembering how excited he seemed about the cooking lessons. "So, um, maybe he could do something else with his life." she exhaled, trying to bury her memories of Arial.

She looked up at the human who stared at her with her eyes wide open and twinkling with hope. Oh god. And her tea cup… wow, it was spotless.

"Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long… you're out of tea, aren't you? I'll get you some more," she smiled, getting up and stopping midway when a thought crossed her mind. "Wait a second… Papyrus… His cooking lesson… HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW!"

From outside the window, Papyrus was frozen in place. "WOOWIE, UNDYNE CARES SO MUCH ABOUT ME…" he whispered to himself, although a part of him was very saddened by Undyne's earlier words. But he wasn't going to give up! By golly, he was going to join the Royal Guard!

And uh… hopefully Undyne would forgive him for skipping out on today's cooking lessons, but FRIENDSHIP was more important right now!

He looked through the window and his eye sockets widened. Kitchen ingredients had been kicked around, and Undyne was standing on the counter with her battle music roaring. "NOTHING has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson… WE'LL BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE! Fuhuhu! Afraid?! We're gonna be BEST FRIENDS!"

Papyrus' jaw was agape as he watched Undyne jump from the counter to the broken table, her hand gripping the human's head. "OH… BE GENTLE…!" Papyrus whispered to himself, his hand reaching towards the broken window but he steeled himself. No. He had to let things progress naturally so that they'd become friends. He couldn't ruin his brilliant plan!

…

Frisk stared at Undyne, her feet touching the ground. "Let's start with the sauce!" And with that, she stomped her feet and the vegetables that dangled on a net fell down unto the counter. Huh. A fishnet… it sure was a unique way to save space in the fridge!

"Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now! Pound them into dust with your fists!"

Frisk stared at the vegetables. **"What will you do, little sis? Pound then with all your strength, or like a wimp—err, like Undyne would say?"** asked Chara inside her head, snickering. Frisk knew that pounding the vegetables was no way to make a sauce—her momma taught her how to make sauce, but it seemed that perhaps her way of becoming friends with Undyne would be to unleash her more… wild side. It was decided!

Frisk breathed in, hitting the vegetables with her fists as hard as she could! She knocked over a tomato. Oh boy!

"YEAH! YEAH! Our hearts are uniting against these healthy ingredients!"

Frisk laughed. This was silly!

"Now… IT'S MY TURN! NGAHH!" And with a quick chop, the vegetables exploded, bursting with healthy sauce across the counter and wall. Undyne laughed nervously, tomato sauce on her cheek. "Uhh, we'll just scrape these into a bowl later… but for now!"

Frisk was startled by her next stomp which was directed at the stove, watching as pans and noddles fell unto it from its hanging place. Frisk stared at the mess and quickly moved around the pans so that only the one that seemed fit for pasta was on there.

"… we add the noodles! Homemade noddles are the best… BUT I JUST BUY STORE-BRAND. THEY'RE THE CHEAPEST!" she laughed, so contagiously that it made Frisk laugh as well, her large eyes looking at Undyne who seemed to be having fun. Finally! Things were going great!

Zoning out for a moment, Frisk felt that she could actually become friends with Undyne, even after the many countless times she had killed her. " **Hey little sis… she's waiting for you put the pasta in the pot. How's ya gonna do it? No pressure, but however you do it, it'll determine your friendship with her,** " Chara once again snickered.

Frisk looked at Undyne, then at the pasta. How as her friendship with Undyne going to be like? Should she be careful around her, or should she be just as fierce as Undyne? Hm… if she was too careful, Undyne might get the wrong idea…

Sparks filled Frisk's eyes, as her small hands gripped the box of Pasta, her hands fumbling to open it with as much hostility as she could put on the cardboard box, narrowing her eyes as she threw the pasta into the pot, hoping it was something Undyne would do. Unfortuneately, the box didn't slide out like she intended it to do so… Oh no…

She looked beside her to see Undyne's sparkling eyes, almost as though she were proud of her. "YEAH! I'M INTO IT! Alright now its time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir… THE BETTER IT IS! Ready? Let's do it!"

Frisk breathed in, her small hands gripping the large spoon as she stirred as she normally would, that is, until Undyne shouted, "HARDER!"

Startled, Frisk stirred a bit faster, small specs of pasta beginning to fly. "HARDER!"

Stirring faster and harder, Frisk did it was best as she could, huffing. "HARDER!"

"Ugh! Let me do it!"

Frisk held out the spoon but instead she jumped back when a blue spear appeared, bending the metal pot as Undyne laughed. Oh _man_ , that was cool.

"Fuhuhu! That's the stuff!"

…

From outside, Papyrus watched with his sparkling eyes. Undyne was never this passionate about cooking whenever she would train him! Wowza, Frisk was really going to be good friends with her!

…

"Alright, now for the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT! Let the stovetop symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into a burning fire! Ready? Don't hold anything back! " Undyne grinned, but something within her words seemed oddly familiar. Had she said this to Papyrus once? "Don't hold anything back!" Arial beamed, her hand holding unto her shield. Undyne's grin faltered for a moment. "Don't hold anything back!" chuckled Asgore with a smile and open arms.

Undyne shook her head, watching the human turn up the heat with caution, looking up to Undyne. "Hotter!"

The small smile grew bigger. "HOTTER, DARNIT!"

Frisk grew slightly scared, watching the flames go up as high as the pan itself. "..um… Undyne, are you sure…?" Frisk whimpered softly, but it seemed that Undyne didn't hear her. "HOTTER! …Wait that's too-"

…

Papyrus gasped, watching as the big flames turned into an explosion. FRISK! His right eye glowed orange and he jumped inside the house, his arm waving through the thick smoke, but neither of them seemed to be in sight. Wait… They were there. He couldn't get caught! And thus, the great Papyrus scurried under the piano, watching their interaction up closer.

…

Undyne had realized her mistake, and so she had grasped the human into her arms shielding her from the blast. Standing in the smokey room, she sighed in defeat. "Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking. So, what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?"

Frisk let go of Undyne, looking at the fire around the house in fight.

"…oh, who am I kidding. I really screwed this up, didn't I? I can't force you to like me, human. Some people just don't get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me. And if we can't be friends… That's okay. Because… if we're not friends…"

Frisk wanted to speak so badly. Of course she liked Undyne! She wanted to be Undyne's friend! But that annoying burning feeling inside her throat silenced her.

"IT MEANS I CAN DESTROY YOU WITHOUT REGRET!" Roared Undyne, a spear appearing much like a fiery battle arena. Frisk's red SOUL popped out, and she found herself facing Undyne… inside a burning house… which they should have evacuated by now…

"I've been defeated… My house is in shambles… I even failed to befriend you. That's it. I don't care if you're my houseguest anymore. One final rematch! All out on both sides! IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE! NOW COME ON! HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT! NGAAHHH!"

Frisk gasped, looking around in fright. What should she do? Her battle music sounded so… hurried, so fast—was Undyne having a crisis or something? **"She's letting you get the first strike… HIT HER!"** Chara commanded, and for a moment, Frisk felt her hands move against her will.

" **N-no!"** Frisk shook her hand, her hand turning into a fist as her body prepared for her strongest attack. **"No!"** she shouted once more inside her head, her punch landing on Undyne as softly as possible.

Undyne grinned, awaiting a strong attack by the looks of it, but instead there was a gentle nudge, and Frisk looked into her eyes with DETERMINATION. "…What? Is that the best you can manage? Even attacking at full force… You can't muster any intent to hurt me, huh? … heh, you know what?"

Frisk took a step back, watching Undyne drop her spear. "I actually don't want to hurt you either. At first I hated your stupid saccharine schtick but… the way you hit me right now, it… Reminded me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you're not just some wimpy loser. You're a wimpy loser with a big heart! Just like him…" She grinned, looking at Frisk and seeing behind her Asgore's smiling form. The big man with a big heart, who couldn't bring himself to hurting her, even if it was training.

" _ONE DAY, UNDYNE, YOU'LL MEET PEOPLE WHOM YOU WONT BE ABLE TO SETTLE THINGS BY FIGHTING. WHEN THAT DAY COMES, YOU'LL REMEMBER THESE WORDS, AND YOU'LL SAY, 'Aww, chucks, Arial, you were darn diddly right!' BUT UNTIL THEN, I'LL BE HERE TO TRAIN YOU JUST LIKE MY FATHER TRAINED ME!"_

Undyne closed her eyes and opened them, staring at the small girl. "Listen human. It seems that you and ASGORE are fated to fight. But knowing him… he probably doesn't want to. Talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home. Eventually, some mean human will fall down here… And I'll take their SOUL instead. That makes sense, right? Fuhuhu.. Oh and, if you DO hurt ASGORE… I'll take the human souls… Cross the barrier… And beat the hell out of you! That's what friends are for, right? Fuhuhu."

Frisk smiled, nodding as she laughed. She could never bring herself to fighting. She could never…

A throbbing pain began to plague her, her hands grasping her hair as she fell down unto her knees, hearing Undyne in the background. "Now let's get the hell out of this flaming house!"

Her vision went blurry, watching as Undyne scooped her in her arms, looking corcerned. "Frisk?" she seemed to mouth.

Sudden flashes of a familiar room engulfed her vision. A long Hall. Yellow flowers in bloom. A shadowy figure. Another big figure, with long horns. A bright light. A trident.

Pain. Pain. Pain.

Pain.

Despair. Desperation. D..e..a..t..h.

D..U..S..T.

The pain in her head was unbearable. These flashbacks… they looked so familiar. Were they the ones she'd see in her nightmares at times? Why did she dream these things…?

Chara watched Undyne run out of the flaming house, looking behind towards the piano where Papyrus came out, his orange eye flashing in concern. Frisk was getting dangerously close to losing herself. Without a doubt, once she faced Asgore… there would be no stopping Chara.

And even if ASGORE wasn't enough to give Chara control, there was always plan B…

The person and life that would drown Frisk into submission and engulf her into an abyssal vacuum. The reason she died on the surface after finally defeating ASGORE.

Her father.


	9. When Flowers Attack Pt 2

*********°*********•*********°*********

Continuation of _When Flowers Attack_.

Sorry for that hiatus.

Chapter updates every third Saturday of the month from now on. Yay?

***Previous Chapters have been updated (as best as I could)

Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are **puns**.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter 9: When Flowers Attack Pt 2**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Grillby continued to polish the glassware while watching over Sans who seemed to be having a crisis. **"Jumpin' jupiters… it's been years since Sans requested the special ketchup bottle combo."** he thought to himself. Whatever was bothering him, he seemed to want to remember nothing of it.

"grillbz… como ha-p-blas tu?" Sans mumbled, his grin now a low disoriented frown. His cheeks were an intense blue, and his eye sockets were droopy—damn, three straight bottles of 'special ketchup' and one order of special grilled shrimp (which had been discontinued for several decades). Sans should have toppled over by now.

Looking around the empty bar, Grillby lamented that today Mettaton was having a TV special. Ah… he missed it. Letting out a small burst of flame, Grillby smiled and leaned on the bar. "How do I speak? I dunno Sans, I just do, though your words sound funny. Is there something you wish to let out?" he asked, leaning in on Sans who laughed to himself, holding unto the remainders of the bottle.

"yeah, there's something I wants ta' let'ut. I **lava** ya sister steamy, a-a-and i hate gaster," Sans managed to say, trying to stand up but falling back down on his seat. "…s'now i gots to learn spangnol a-nnd b'daddy."

Grillby cocked his flaming eyebrow, his hand grasping Sans' as though to hold him down in his seat. "…what was that first part, buddy? Steamy?"

Sans laughed to himself once more, tears streaming down. "s-screw it! you're m'est friend. i gots uh, 'ecret. dad dun _**dunked**_ 'derground. 'speriment… wrong."

Grillby leaned in, his hands pressing San's hands down as to keep him seated the whole time. This was it. The big secret. No matter how much it bothered Sans internally, he would never tell Grillby about it, and he would knock out before talking about it in his drunken talk. Somehow… this piece of information felt like something he needed to know, something of utmost importance not just to Grillby but to Sans. Whatever this secret was… poor Sans had to endure it alone throughout the years. Whatever it was… Grillby had to listen and help his best friend.

Sans stared at Grillby, his eyelids falling momentarily before Grillby shook him. "dadster vanish'd w-with…"

Grilby held his breath, shaking Sans once more. Gaster. Sans would at times mutter his name bitterly and ramble to himself about how much he hated his father. From what he gathered, Gaster, the former Royal Scientist, was a terrible father…? Which seemed absurd considering how much time and care he invested in his two sons. From what Grillby remembered, Sans and Papyrus would come over to their house and… uh… huh. They just came over? And although he doesn't exactly remember Mr. Gaster, he did remember Sans would rave about him all the time, until… well, until he entered his teenage years? Hm. But what he did remember was that Miss Arial would always come over and make sure he was doing alright, with what… uh... being an only child…? Miss Arial and Mr. Gaster would take care of him and make sure everything was alright, almost like parents. Although Grillby didn't remember Gaster, he remembered Arial as a sort of motherly figure. Ever since she died, however… it's been just Grillby.

Sans's head toppled over his arms, breathing out heavily with that stench of strong alcohol with a mixed kind of ketchup. "…dun fell 'nto black void 'xistance… w-iith… s-shiieetl'ad uh… mons-sters."

Grillby let go of Sans, walking around the bar counter so that he could sit next to Sans. "Gaster was experimenting… and he fell down with other monsters?" asked Grillby calmly, taking the nearly empty bottle and putting it aside while Sans nodded his head. "Sssteamy…" he breathed out, his boney hand reaching towards Grillby's frozen face, watching the hand caress his flaming jaw, falling down to his collar and playing with the bowtie. A wild blush crept up Grillby who was unable to move from his best friend's unnerving touch—it was gentle, almost like a lover's touch. A wide grin replaced San's frown, silent tears streaming as he continued to toy around with the bow tie.

Why… why did the name Steamy feel familiar and yet mean nothing at the same time? Why was there a conflicting feeling within himself? And why on earth was Sans being so… weird. They were best friends, sure, but uh… lovers?

Realizing that Sans' jacket caught on fire, Grillby put it out with a snap of his fingers, watching the flames be absorbed by his hands as he grabbed Sans' hands and put them on the counter. "Sans, I need to know more. Why do you hate your father? Does it have to do with the disappearance? And… who is… uh… S-Sans?!"

Sans stared into Steamy's flashy eyes, her delicate white form blushing as she usually would and her hands gently carrying his hands unto the counter. "Sans," she whispered, her voice sounding lovely, but getting deeper. Closing in on her, he grinned his goofy-in-love smile, his blush deepening and turning nearly his entire skull into a solid blue. With a blink of his eyes, he realized he was staring into Grillby's flushed face just a few inches away.

Grillby had been unable to move, watching as Sans screamed, throwing his hands in the air and standing up, falling down in an attempt to run off it seemed.

Mother of… Did Sans…?! Were they about to…?!

Grillby finally regained movement of his limbs, and he got up, helping Sans while feeling slightly nauseated. "shiiiiiiieeet!" Sans screamed out, his hands reaching out and trying to crawl away but instead he gave up on the idea and laid on the wooden floor, hitting his head against it. "ssorry! i th'ut y'were…" Sans mumbled out, feeling his body get increasingly heavier. With one final glance back, Sans saw Steamy standing there in her uniform, shaking her head as she giggled. "Silly Sansy~" she cooed, kneeling beside him as he passed out.

Grillby sighed, his hands massaging the temples of his head. Out cold. Well… at least he wouldn't remembered that embarrassing moments, unfortunately, Grillby had to live with those images in his head. "…huh… the things I do for a friend," Grillby sighed, carefully taking Sans' blue jacket off with the cooled off fingertips of his so as to not scorch his favorite sweater. Once it had been removed, he was free to carry Sans on his shoulder, trying not to scorch his clothes off while he closed the bar.

…

Walking down the snowy path of Snowdin with Sans on his right shoulder, Grillby came across the hooded Riverperson who seemed to be heading towards the bar. Grilby blushed, his left hand scratching the back of his head nervously. "A-ah! Riverperson… I-I'm sorry, I'm closing early today."

The hooded person stared at Grillby, and it seemed to be staring in the direction of Sans.

Clearing his throat, Grillby smiled. "Ah, yeah, he uh… knocked out. Don't worry, I can open up the bar in about half an hour if you'd like…?"

The Riverperson tilted the head of the hood. "Tra la la~ No, it's fine~," it sang, but moved closer to Grillby. "Is he okay?" it asked, continuing to hum afterwards.

Grillby smiled, his eyes drooping down. "…yeah… Are you sure I can't interest you in a drink later on? It's on the house," Grillby chuckled, staring into the emptiness of the hood which at times would seem like an infinite space of glowing rocks. What a… most mysterious and charming person.

The Riverperson chuckled. "That's alright, la la, la la~"

Grillby moved his right shoulder as to reposition Sans' knocked out body, watching the mysterious walk in the direction of the river bank, swooning if only momentarily before continuing to make his way towards Sans' house.

Finding the house empty, Grillby looked into Sans' mailbox, finding a spare key at the end of the mailbox and opening the door. Was Papyrus in the outskirts? Missing out on Mettaton's TV special? That was impossible…

With a heavy sigh, Grillby let Sans' body roll down unto the couch. "Alright buddy ol' pal, I hope you drowned whatever demons were haunting you… I just wish you trusted me more," Grillby whispered, looking to the side and finding what seemed to be Papyrus' blanket. How convenient, it seemed. Covering up Sans, Grillby stood staring at Sans momentarily, wondering how he could help Sans, other than helping him get wasted at a bar. Earlier that day, he came in running just as he was about to close, full of sweat and talking about how he felt his sins crawling on his back—rather crude words to be honest. He had spoken Frisks' name, but more than that, Grillby was at a total loss.

What did Frisk have to do with whatever happened to his father? Was it even related, or was it just a drunkard's jumbled thoughts?

Grillby turned, looking at the TV but deciding to go out and find Papyrus or Frisk instead of staying in to see Mettaton's special. There was more important matters at hand, it seemed.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Following the flamesman, Gaster hid his face within his right hand, trying to keep his cool. His son was beginning to hit rock bottom it seemed. Had he no shame? This day just kept getting worse it seemed. Following flaming monster, Gaster sighed in irritation as he approached the Riverperson.

"Tra la la~" it sang, the irritation growing as it continued to sing and hum.

"Tra la la~ Did you ever hear, the old song… coming from the sea?"

Gaster locked his eyes on the hooded figure, watching as Grillby shook his head. "No… I don't believe I have,"

This person was beginning to get on Gaster's bad side. The old song, coming from the sea… that was near the warped room that would randomly appear. How did they know about the warped room? The chances of them coming across it was slim enough, but a general monster wouldn't shouldn't be able to come across it at all. This person…

"Frisk?"

Gaster looked at the flamesman who had jumped out of the still boat, running to the fishwoman who carried the unconscious girl.

"What did you do to her?!" exclaimed Grillby, the top of his head bursting into flames like a mushroom cloud, his hands reaching for the girl but Undyne took a step back. "I DIDN'T DO SCHTICK!" she screamed back.

Gaster's eyes rolled to the Riversperson who stood up and levitated off the boat, its long robe flat. It seemed to be watching whatever happening, observing much like himself. Another mysterious figure? There wasn't enough room in the underground for the both them!

Grumbling to himself, Gaster turned to the scene.

…

Grillby rolled up his white sleeves, taking off his glasses as he looked at Undyne. "Give me Frisk, and I will not hurt you,"

"I TOLD YOU, I DIDN'T DO SHIT! … I mean, we burned down my house, and I challenged her to a rematch, BUT I DIDN'T HURT HER!"

Grillby narrowed his eyes. "That's fine, but hand her over, Undyne. I will personally take her home with Sans." his voice coolly replied, his flaming head crackling.

Undyne looked down at the girl who had fallen unconscious, her skin turned a ghostly white with cuts, scrapes and scars all over. Her hands and legs seemed to be twitching every now a then. "Grillbz, we have to take her to Alphys! I think she's sick or something, or maybe the smoke…"

Without a warning, Grillby's hands swooped down and snatched Frisk out of her arms, his arms turning a dark grey color. "Sans can fix it then, I trust Sans more than I trust the Royal Scientist and Royal Captain,"

Undyne summoned her spear out of anger. "THIS IS SERIOUS! SHE MIGHT DIE!" Grillby gripped Frisk in his arms, looking down at the shivering human, her cheeks turning rosey and her breath manifesting as though it were freezing around her. Her lips trembled, and under her breath she whispered the name, "…Asgore."

…

Gaster yawned, floating towards the commotion but freezing when he realized what was happening.

It was happening.

 _ **The happening**_.

…

Turning his back to Undyne, Grillby proceeded to board the river boat, but stopped when he saw a blue spear fly into the water. "As Royal Captain, Grillby of Snowdin, you are UNDER ARREST! Hand over the human! I promise nothing will harm her, she just needs medical help."

The Riverperson took a step forward, the long robe touching the ground as it begun to levitate and stand in front of Grillby. "Let him be, la la~" it sang in a monotone, the darkness inside the robe growing unnaturally darker.

Grillby could feel a cold wind in front of where near where the Riverperson stood, and it made him feel very uncomfortable. He looked at Undyne who seemed to have the same feeling as him, her expression showing both confusion and slight fear for the unknown.

"That goes for you too, G, G~"

Undyne tilted her head in even more confusion, but her attention soon turned to Frisk who had jumped out of Grillby's arms with red shining eyes, lunging towards Undyne with a bloodlust. "D…I…E!"

Grillby's eyes widened in shock, his eyes meeting with RP's darkness, and soon his body struck the river boat hard as it swung forward at full speed. As the boat rolled down the river, The Riverperson watched the small child laughed with a wild, insane joy. "FINALLY!" she screamed in glee, jumping and dodging one of Undyne's blue spears. "W-what the hell?!" Undyne shouted, backing away as the child continued to dodge her attacks and creep closer to her, a wicked and demented smile replacing the sweet smile Undyne had become accustomed to seeing.

…

Gaster's screams echoed in the empty void he lurked, Gaster Blasters blasting at the murderous child but without any damage dealt. Of course he wasn't going to hit the child, he didn't exist. But why? Why? And… that Riverperson, they spoke to him directly? What…?

Feeling the cold sensation creep up from behind, Gaster turned around and he found the Riverperson right behind him, staring at him with that… never ending darkness. Why was it staring at him? Why wasn't it helping Undyne? Wait a minute _ **, was**_ _**it was staring at him**_?

"Even beyond the dimension, you seem to find new ways to irritate me," Gaster said under his breath, flexing his hands in anger. What was he to do? He couldn't assist against the evil human and its pet demon, so what…

The Riverperson continued to stare at him, two twinkling lights beginning to emerge where eyes should have been. "… you talk too much, la la." its monotone voice spoke without rhythm, one side of its cloak raising and revealing a celestial space inside the cloak. Stars, planets, galaxies, all inside the cloak of the dark being, and its cloak seemed to levitate without a body, swinging in Gaster's direction and enveloping him into a terrible darkness, a darkness much darker than his void.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Undyne smiled with relief, holding out her hand when Frisk apologized, although why her eyes were red, beats her. "Hey kid, mind explaining why…?...!" Began to ask Undyne with her eyes closed and her hand behind her neck, when suddenly she felt the small fists hit her body in her most vulnerable state. "…F-frisk?" Undyne managed to ask in shock, watching as her body began to turn to dust and the small girl grinned, licking her lips with an insatiable thirst. "…My name is _Chara_."

Unable to draw enough DETERMINATION due to the shock of being betrayed by her new friend, Undyne turned to dust before Chara's feet, and a few feet away were two bystanders, one of which had decided to leave. The other?

Chara's peripheral vision watched the hooded person leave, but a new person had begun to approach her. "…U-U-UNDYNE?" asked Papyrus, his eye sockets turning to the human who mocked his sadness with laughter. "Ah, wrong place and wrong time, baby brother~" cooed Chara, cracking her knuckles with simple hand stretches. A cool wind enveloped her with a rush of power as her strength increased. 500 EXP. LVL 8, baby.

Across from Chara, Papyrus took a step closer with a confused expression. "F-FRISK? I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ATTACKED UNDYNE, BUT THE PATH THAT YOU'RE HEADING TOWARDS… YOU'RE HEADING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH! HOWEVER, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, **KNOW** YOU HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL. YOU **ARE** A GREAT PERSON! JUST LIKE ME, YOU HARDLY HAD TO TRY, SO PLEASE… "

Chara laughed, taking a step forward. This was going to be a piece of cake, just like all those other times in the different timeline.

Papyrus smiled nervously, his attention turning to a sudden flower that popped up in front of Frisk. Ah! It was his friend! Maybe together they could turn Frisk right around! Although… something was different about his friend. One of his petals seemed to be really small, almost as if it was growing back.

Chara's smile disappeared and she took a step back as the Flower smiled with its psychedelic expression. "Chara… F..l..o..w..e..y h..a..s a..p..r..e..s..e..n..t f..o..r y..o..u."

Papyrus tilted his head in confusion, but soon enough he was sent flying back when the earth shook and an array of white friendliness pellets shot out and seemed to be amassing in the sky, twirling around above Flowey and Frisk. Chara bit her lip as it quivered, watching as the skele-bones splashed in the water where he had landed. This time, Flowey seemed to be going all out. _Shit_.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Grillby shook Sans until he opened his eye sockets. "good god, what the actual **hell**? grillbz?" Sans cried out, feeling unnaturally sick to his stomach. God. What day was it?

"Sans, there's no time to explain! Frisk is sick, or something! She turned pale, and had so many cuts, scars and bruises… out of nowhere, she turned feral." Sans felt as though he was going to barf on Grillby's shoulder, his arms flying in the wind as Grillby seemed to run towards the river bank where an empty riverboat awaited. Wait a minute. "…frisk? saydatagain, bud. describe the symptoms,"

Grillby came to a stop, huffing and setting Sans down, his hand snapping all the small flames that had caught unto Sans' shirt and shorts. "Sh… she was as white as a ghost an-and had red eyes-" Grillby explained but was cut short by Sans who had suddenly gotten up with a furious expression. "…chara!" He screamed out, turning around and taking a step forward but falling into the snow instead, his boney hands grasping the snow in anger. _Shiieet. Shiiiet. Shiiiet_. Why now?

Feeling the hot hands on his arm and shoulder, Sans watched as he rose up, his eye sockets watching a speeding Riverperson fly above the water like some sort of… speeding arrow. It made a sharp left turn, floating towards them and coming to a stop right in front of them. "Sss… Sss… Sssaaannnssss…" it hissed in a gentle form, his right arm rising and levitating next to Sans' head, before it decided to pet Sans' skull using the robe. Although nothing touched Sans, he felt the form of a hand touch the top of his head, icy cold… ugh… it felt like his old man. It was cold for a few moments, before suddenly it changed into a warm feeling, so warm and it felt like… like… momster.

Grillby shook his head. "He's fine, we must get to Frisk! What happened after I left?" Grillby asked in urgency, noticing that the Riverperson turned to him with that empty void. "…Undyne **dyed** , la la." its monotone spoke, eerie and without rhythm unlike its usual happy tone.

Sans' blue cheeks quickly turned white, and his eye sockets snapped in the direction of the river. "…no. no. no. damn it, kiddo… i-i shouldn't have left ya," Sans muttered to himself, his arms pulling forward along with his legs, but Grillby held him firmly. Without another word from Riverperson, it floated back unto the boat, awaiting a stupefied Grillby who could not believe that the little human, who was unable to harm even a bug, could have slayed Undyne. Golly, he had envision Frisk to be almost like a daughter with what the frequent visits by her and Sans, and the way they'd play board games and paper games a few times a week at the bar.

"Grill..by.. come.. here." RP's voice echoed, making the cheery Snowdin tune that continuously played to sound grim with its dreary tone. Carrying Sans on his shoulder, Grillby walked forward and boarded the river boat, feeling chills go down his spine.

As the boat dashed forward, the inside of Riverperson rumbled two conflicting sensations of hot and cold.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Inside River Person**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The empty void that Gaster had become accustomed to was now consumed by this eternal…. space. Stars, gas planets, asteroids—all living and moving inside of this… this… _thing_. There was something peculiar about this setting however… doors. Doors floated in the empty vacumm and they were all labeled with different names and numbers. Approaching one of them, he read, 'Underfell. #69'. What were these doors doing in the middle of nowhere?

His hand touched the red and black door, turning the doorknob and poking his head inside to find…

To find…

"… _ **what the hell is this**_ **?"**

Gaster shut the door close, his back on the door as he hyperventilated. Why… what… _nooo_!

 _God, no_! What kind of alternate universe was that?! Incest— _fontcest_! Such… such… lewd, indecent, and obviously wrong…

Wait a minute.

Gaster caught his breath, closing his eyes as he contemplated the fact that he was in a dimension where doors led to other alternate universes caused by his meddling. He had seen those versions of Sans and Papyrus, he was sure. Yes… the edgy looking Papyrus that seemed well respected and actually a model son… he had seen him momentarily when he fell down into the CORE.

Gaster breathed in, floating to another door. 'UnderFell # 48'. _NOPE. NOPE. NOPE_. Flying to another door, Gaster squinted at the letters but making it out to say something different from UnderFell. Floating right in front of it, Gaster breathed out. 'UnderSwap #3'. The door was painted in colors, and it seemed to have a bow tie of sorts pinned on top of the words. Huh. Well it can't be that bad… hopefully.

"…please no fontcest… or… anything worse," Gaster muttered to himself, looking at the door, thinking the bow to be cute. Nothing this cute could be bad… right?

Opening the door, Gaster peered inside and saw Sans wearing a… blue giant bandana-bow? What kind of…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Inside UnderSwap**

*********°*********•*********°*********

'PAPS! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE AGAIN!" Shouted Sans, his hands on his hips as his foot hit the ground with impatience. He seemed to be dressed to be wearing some sort of fighting outfit and his eyes… his eyes were both glowing blue…?

Papyrus opened his eye socket, inhaling his cigarette before exhaling a puff of smoke. He was dressed in an orange hoody and shorts, and next to the couch was a jar labeled 'Spaghetti Sauce'. This Papyrus looked so tired and… not Papyrus like. Gaster was baffled, blocking out the conversation between brothers, watching how the brothers seemed to be acting almost in mirror images of themselves but in… different bodies. Wait… Under… Swap. Swap.

Gaster was beginning to understand now.

"I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS…"

Gaster looked at the small skelly boy, noticing that his body form seemed to be normal, at least, more normal than regular Sans. He almost looked like a young Sans, when he was much younger and still a child. He looked… cute.

Gaster smiled to himself, watching the two brothers go about their business and feeling like somehow, these two weren't his children. Then again… in these alternate universes, who was to say, that they were brothers at all? Could the universes change so dramatically that perhaps, that… fontcest was deemed… acceptable to some sort of sick degree? Even if it were so, he would never accept that.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Outside UnderSwap**

*********°*********•*********°*********

From outside the door, a familiar voice echoed loudly which chilled Gaster.

"HOW COULD YOU, GASTER? THEY WERE OUR CHILDREN!" screamed Arial, her voice echoing with pain and anger seething in every syllable.

Gaster's head snaped back, looking around the empty space with a heavy heart. That was definitely Arial's voice. Here. In this empty space.

Closing the door, Gaster floated around aimlessly, before a square window appeared, almost shaped like a tv screen. Reflecting on it, was the image of Grillby and Sans standing in the snow, and Sans looked awful.

"Wingding Aster, watch what I see, and feel, what I feel. Inside of me, feel whole if for a moment." echoed the voice of RiverPerson, its monotone voice sending chills down Gaster's spine.

He looked at the screen, feeling his body tingle and noticing that it was glowing white levitating up against his will. Suddenly… he felt…

He was there. The snow, beneath his feet, it was cold. "S-s-sans…." whispered, but instead of his voice, he heard RiverPerson's voice and it seemed to be trying to say what he had said. Was he controlling RiverPerson? Lifting his arm, he reached for Sans and realized that the robe where the arms would go lifted. Placing his hand on top of Sans' head, he felt that familiar skull and a part of Gaster danced with joy at feeling… _like a person once more_. He wasn't nonexistent for this small brief moment! Finally!

Just as soon as he had patted Sans' skull, he felt his body feel heavy, and soon enough, he was back into the empty space watching the screen. Gaster frowned, but a familiar warmth beside his body brought him an even greater despair.

Beside him, in that empty space…

The slender form of what looked like Arial's ghost floated, her body seemingly human. Her long golden curls bounced off her shoulders as the ghost levitated with a radiating white glow, her green, beautiful emerald eyes closingand her lips quivering with anticipation it seemed. Her skin… her delicate hands, and her hair… they were all as he remembered them to be, back in the days before her transformation into a full-fledged monster. Human Arial.

He watched as her arm was raised, and it seemed to be petting the empty space, but turning to the tv, he realized… she was patting Sans, ever so gently. He turned to Arial, feeling tears swell up inside of him. Arial. After all this time… he found her. She was still alive.

He stared at her for all infinity it felt, a most cherished infinity, but those actual brief moments soon ended, and her ghost levitated down, opening her eyes.

"Arial," Gaster breathed out, his hands reaching for her, but instead they stopped short when she snapped her head in his direction with fatal eyes that pierced right through him.

He felt his sins crawling on his back.

And just like that, her ghost faded, anger in her eyes and her lips pursed together into a forced frown.

The silent treatment. Arial… had never used the silent treatment on him.

Suddenly, another familiar voice began to speak. "I remember Horatia, my, what a woman! Such character! She never stopped calling me, 'Dr. Castellar' instead of 'Dr. Semi'. Heh. I sure do hope Roman doesn't anger her, she can hold quite the grudge! Poor Dr. Segoe has been dealing with her silent treatment ever since one of their experiments nearly made her bald, bwa hah hah!"

Gaster's head looked frantically around the empty space, feeling his heart beat against his ghoulish chest. Grandpa Semi, Dr. Semi Castellar, although his speech sounded… off. Almost like he was speaking to someone else. Was he here too? What was going on? What was this place?

"Time's up, Wingding Aster." RiverPerson's monotone spoke, except that… it spoke in his native tongue, Wingdings…. How did they know his real name? Before Gaster could ask, the space in front of him parted in two, and he could see the world once more. He felt his body being pushed towards the regular world, and looking back he realized—he was falling out of Riverperson's cloak.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans felt a cold body of air fly through him as RP swung his cloak around, floating away as both Sans and Grillby fought Chara and Flowey. Sure, she was weak compared to being a LVL 20 when he last fought her, but something about seeing Papyrus in the riverboat watching him battle—it made him weaker. Not that Sans could get any weaker than 1 hit point damage, but his will to fight Chara diminished… and he _was slightly_ intoxicated… Okay. He was well intoxicated and he had vomited red ketchup and blue magical ooze all over the ground, but he was still okay to fight. Grillby on the other hand, seemed _**on fire**_. Literally. Flowey seemed to be dodging Grillby's fire shots, which were actually fireballs in the shape of shot glasses. Classic Grillby. But on top of chasing Flowey, Grillby was now burning Chara quite badly. It seemed that Grillby wasn't actually trying to hurt Chara, but even so, his attacks were… so powerful. Burn marks were scattered around Frisk's body, and parts of her hair were singed. The fireproof clothes that Grillby would wear were on fire, though not burning, and the flames on top of his head danced wildly with anger. Man. Sans had never seen Grillby so mad before.

"g-grillbz, s-s-stop!" Sans studdered, his blue glowing eye seizing Grillby who breathed hard. "F-Frisk, please, if you can hear us, come back!" Grillby pleaded as Sans' magic held him back. The girl who possessed Frisk's body only laughed, her eyes flashing red. "Grillby… I hunger for SOULS. Is that on the menu?" she asked, winking as she lunged forward towards him.

Flowey grinned, sending seeds hurdling towards the two monsters from behind as Chara attacked from the front. It felt amazing. Deep, within his roots, he could feel… feels. Feelings.

Evil laughter in unison left both Sans and Grillby speechless, both wondering what their options were. Hurting Chara meant they were hurting Frisk's body, and hurting the flower seemed nearly impossible because it kept dodging and Chara would get in between when it couldn't dodge.

"…C..h..a..r..a…" Flowey breathed out, a vision full of static clouding his vision briefly, changing images in between static.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Flashback: Asriel, Chara and Sans**

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Chara!" shouted Asriel with a grin on his face, swinging his arms in front of him while making 'pssh pssh' sounds. "Fear my Chaos Buster!" he shouted as serious as he could, trying to keep a straight face despite his happiness. Finally. He was finally playing with Chara and Sans.

Sans chuckled, dodging with ease as he ran beside Asriel and watched Chara who gracefully cartwheeled her way out of Asriel's 'Chaos Buster' attack. Asriel quickly turned to his side, his hands materializing rainbow colored sticks that he used to swipe towards Sans. "Aaaaahhhaaaa! Chaos Saber! Swooosh, swoosh!"

Sans stood still, smiling as Asriel swiped the sticks that were his 'swords'. "ahh, I'm defeated by the great goat prince!" Sans exclaimed, walking back and gripping his chest, frowning and exaggerating his 'death' before finally falling back plump on the earth. He closed one of his eye sockets, but used the other one to continue watching the battle. It was nice… it was nice to finally get Asriel fight Chara. That kid seemed crazy about her.

Chara's smile disappeared, her lean body rolling towards Sans. "Y-you killed him? B-b-but he can dodge anything… wow. Huh. I guess it's just you and me, Asriel~" Chara cooed with a wink, noticing the blush that appeared on the young goat. "Uhh… uh, You can try, human! But you will never destroy me, the Absolute God of Hyper Death!" Asriel squealed, trying his best to sound ominous but instead he sounded pretty wimpy.

Chara stood tall, raising her chin as she looked at Asriel with determined eyes. "Absolute god of hyper death…? My, my, but you have such a vivid imagination. But can the absolute god of hyper death truly kill the cursed monster that is the human 'Hand of God', Chara?" she asked, tilting her head with her large red eyes, her expression seeming… quite serious. Her cold, expressionless eyes along with her smile sent shivers down Asriel's spine, and from where he stood he could see that Sans seemed just as creeped out. "C-Chara! Stop doing your creepy smile!" Asriel cried out, pointing his sticks towards Chara.

Smiling, the girl shrugged, jumping forward and rolling as Asriel swung his arms forward. "Chaos Buster! …Star Blazing!"

Chara noticed rainbow colored stars appearing, bursting into smaller stars that seemed fly out in a circle. Ah, Asriel was getting better with his magic it seemed. Soon enough those star shaped lights would turn into actual stars! But until then… it was good practice for them both. Jumping from side to side and dodging the star lights, Chara's hand swung up and a stick flowed out from inside the green sleeve.

Asriel wanted to play with her and Sans, but Chara had never let him. It was obvious why. Between her and Sans… their fights were intense, and meaningful to her. The fights between her and Asriel though… well… the kid couldn't hurt a fly even with his big mouth, even if he was just as tall as Chara. He was definitely younger than her and Sans, and his actual fighting skills were… uh… bad. Well, he tried, but if she were to actually try to hurt him, she was sure she'd really hurt him.

"Swoosh, swoosh" Chara dully said, swinging her stick while Asriel swung his sticks with the same action phrase, moving her feet slowly and trying to make it seem like the two were neck and neck but really… if Chara wanted to, she could beat up Asriel. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sans smile with her courteous fighting style almost… happy seeing her play along with Asriel. Huh. Maybe she should do this more often.

But… she wasn't going to let Asriel win. Ooooh no. Never.

Chara sighed, putting up her hands. "Oh, Absolute God of _fast_ death, please, I surrender! I am but a mere human," Chara spoke, watching Asriel's lips turn into a huge grin and his eyes sparkled. "R-really? I m-mean, uh… Y-Yeah, that's right, human! The Absolute God of Hyper Death-" he began to say, but he stopped when Chara's stick swung down and poked him. "…aaaand you're dead, buddy." Chara laughed, continuing to poke him with a stick.

Sans sighed, his smile disappearing. Every time this girl did something nice, she always turned into something bad. Poor kid. Crushing on mean girl like that… and conceited at that. Nothing like Steamy.

Asriel began to laugh. "S-s-stop!" he shouted, jerking his body left and right as he tried to avoid Chara's poking rush. "N-n-neeeeeeeeeeeggghhh!" He bellowed, his voice sounding off a goat cry, which in turn caused Chara to stop, due to falling over with laughter.

"Oh my god!" Chara laughed, rolling in the leaves and grass, trying to contain her amusement but was unable to. Asriel hadn't gone primal once since her stay in the underground!

Sans chuckled, walking over to the two. "You have **goat** to be kidding me, it's not that funny, Chara, I mean, Asriel **Screamuur** is a goat after all,"

Asriel's embarrassed expression began to laugh, feeling Sans' comprehensive pat on his back. "T-thanks Sans…" His eyes soon drifted to his mother who walked over to the area, looking quite concerned. "Asriel, are you alright? I heard you scream, honey." she asked, walking over to Asriel and inspecting his face thoroughly. "You're not rough housing, are you?" she asked, her firm eyes eyeing Sans and Chara.

Sans froze, looking away. "N-no mam'" he whispered, feeling slightly intimidated by her angry look. Chara on the other hand got up, shaking her head with innocent seeming eyes. "Why, of course not mother! Asriel just… hehehe, I was tickling him with a stick, and then he screamed," Chara explained, trying to hold in her laughter, looking away from Toriel and Asriel as she continued to giggle.

Asriel could feel his face burn red, looking up to his mother who chuckled and patted Asriel's head. "Ah, honey, there's no need to be embarrassed. There comes a time in a goat's life when we stop… screaming like that," she chuckled, kneeling down and looking Asriel eye to eye. "Why, when you were born, you'd scare your father because it was all you would say," she laughed, her hands gently placed on his shoulders as Asriel's eyes gleamed with tears. "R-really? W-why do we… scream like that?" asked Asriel, feeling the eyes of his friends burning on his back.

Toriel could only smile as she placed a kiss on Asriel's forehead. "Well, when we're born, that's all we know. But as we grow older, we learn new ways to communicate. But, sometimes, even when we're older, we scream just like that." Toriel explained as best she could, her finger tapping Asriel's snout as she stood up and grabbed her hand, walking back to the house. Behind Asriel, Chara and Sans followed, both silent for a moment before Sans stopped walking.

Chara stayed behind, watching the mother and son walk back to the house before turning to Sans. "W-what's with that look? You're not happy, that smile is fake," Chara asked, her feet moving towards Sans before stopping when she realized his eye sockets were empty.

"…stop picking on asriel like that kid, or you're gonna have a bad time."

Chara smiled that creepy smile of hers, shaking her head. "…maybe I want a bad time," she winked, walking away with ease while Sans continued to warn her. "if something bad happens to asriel because of you, i won't hold back anymore,"

Chara's smile disappeared as she continued to walk, hearing his feet shuffle behind her. "Then don't hold back on me. I love a challenge," she giggled in a frightening way, her hands turning the door knob and walking inside the house. She noticed her mother and Asriel were looking at videotape, and she hurried inside when she realized it was baby Asriel and father.

Asriel watched with sparkling eyes, but when he turned and saw Chara and Sans, he flushed and began to trembled. Toriel looked at the children, realizing that Asriel must still feel embarrassed by his goat screams. Looking at the videotape, she smiled, watching a tiny Asriel that screamed, trying hard to say his first word. Turning off the cam recorder, she turned to Asriel who seemed petrified.

Chara grinned. "That's _**so**_ cute! How does he do it? Neeeeeeiiiiiggh?" Chara imitated, watching how Asriel slumped down while Toriel chuckled and Chara laughed.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Present**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Dazed, Flowey shook his head. What were these images? How he hated these cryptic messages! He's seen the skeleton and demon before it seems… although he couldn't understand it at all. He ducked down on the earth once more, one of his petals catching on fire. "HOT, HOT, HOT!" Flowey screamed as he emerged, noticing that Chara was dangerously close to Grillby. The flamesman seemed unfazed by her continuous behavior, shouting, "Frisk, I know you're not this monster! Sans explained it to me, please! Come back to us and stop this madness!"

Flowey's eye twitched. Her laughter. She laughed as she approached Grillby from behind, her fists stopping midway as her SOUL turned blue and floating up high.

Chara bit her lip, her eyes wild with lust for dust, but suddenly, she felt her arms give up, and inside her head, she could hear Frisk cry.

Floating in the dark, foggy void, Frisk had heard someone cry out her name. _"F-Frisk, please, if you can hear us, come back!"_ Little had she known, it had been Grillby's voice that had echoed inside her ears before finally reaching deep within the empty void that Frisk now dwelled.

Opening her eyes, she realized she had been locked inside a platinum cage. "…U-undyne?" she asked, remembering that she had been in Undyne's house earlier. Wait.

Flashes of the images she had seen earlier seemed to spin in her head, before it stopped at an image of a goat with golden locks of hair, and sad eyes.

"… Asgore…" she whispered, her hands gripping her arms as she backed into the cage with fear. She did it. She had to get home, so she did it. She didn't want to do it, but… Papa.

Papa.

Painful memories of a bright light flooded her head as her fingernails began to dig into her arms. "…Papa…" she whispered, cowering in her little space as she realized this was what her mama had warned her about. This was hell. She was paying for her sins, sus pecados. This… cold, foggy world was hell, huh? It was different from the eternal fires, and demons torturing evil dooers, and yet, it was worse. Her Papa had told her such wild tales of this place, and yet… somehow, in isolation, caged inside to think about her sins… it was worse.

Flashbacks played in chopped images, one of them from when she reached the surface. _In a hurry, she ran down the mountain. Running, stumbling, for days until she was found by men in black—familiar men in black. They were friendly._

 _Then she was back in her home, the new home. Escorted to the study room. Locked inside with a man. He was dressed in all black. Smoking a cigar. He threw a rock glass against the floor. She was scared. Then a gun shot._

Frisk closed her eyes, her arms bleeding from her nails digging hard against her arms, her hands covering her head as she whimpered.

"Mama!" she cried as trembled, her arms quickly hugging her legs as she huddled herself into an embrace, rocking back and forth against the walls of the cage.

 _A bullet flied past her ear. Hit the door. She fell. She cried. Papa! He towered. He talked. He cried. He shouted. He threw things, she cowered. The door opened. Men in black flooded in. They looked scared. She was scared. Papa gave orders. A body was wheeled in. Covered in bandages._

" _Matalo!" (Kill it!) he screamed. A gun was shoved into her hands. She panicked. Why?_

Frisk began to hyperventilate, her body shaken with fear as the images overwhelmed her mind.

 _D..e..m..o..n..s..t..r..a..t..e_

 _Y..o..u..r_

 _W..o..r..t..h._

" _NO!" Frisk shrieked, backing into the corner of the room._

 _Bandages. Falling. Burned flesh._

 _Her… brother._

 _Still. Breathing? Eyes closed._

 _Shouts everywhere. Papa walking towards her._

 _Hands shaking._

 _Gun's cold, hands sweating._

 _Monster. Papa… was a monster._

 _Asgore was never a monster._

"N-NO!" screamed Frisk, trying to forget it all. She did it. She was a murderer.

 _Shots fired. Blood splatter. Blood on her hands. Blood on her face. Papa fell, just like Asgore._

 _Papa stared at her. Breathing hard. Gun in his pocket. Gun pointed at her. Shots fired._

Gripping her head, Frisk screamed, rocking back and forth, images of her father whom she had loved so much, staring at her with cold eyes, eyes that hated her. He didn't love her. She killed mama, he blamed her. She killed everybody. She… killed papa. And papa… killed her. She deserved this. She deserved it.

While in her thoughts, that same voice cried out to her once more. _"Frisk, I know you're not this monster! Sans explained it to me, please! Come back to us and stop this madness!"_

Her heart dropped. She… wasn't a monster? S… Sans. _"…kiddo … do you… miss your dad…? … …c-c-call me daddy?"_

A small laugh echoed in the empty space, her arms trembling as she got up and walked to the door of the cage, her hands gripping the bars and watching the metal turn to dust. Walking out the cage, she began to see images. A fight…? N-no. No! She was fighting! Wait a minute…

Those… those nightmares of… Undyne…

…No!

*********°*********•*********°*********

Flowey's eyes twitched again. Her laughter. Something within Flowey seemed to snap, feeling a surge of anger and fury overwhelm him. He stared at his pellets, laughing with that demonic expression as they flew straight towards Chara.

Grillby narrowed his eyes, positioning his glasses as his other hand flew up along with fire shots hurdling towards Flowey. Sans set down Chara who seemed to have slumped down unconscious, her skin getting darker to what was Frisk's skin tone. "f-frisk! wake up!" Sans urged, but realizing that Flowey was relentless. Using his bones, he shielded them from the onslaught of attacks that Flowey sent while Grillby, realizing what was happening, was now back to back with Sans, creating a sort of heat shield that shielded the other side from harm.

"Sans, is Frisk back? What are we going to do? How do we explain Undyne…?" he asked, looking down at the child whose brown eyes fluttered open, but they seemed… different.

Sans turned to the stacks of bones that served as shields, realizing that thick green vines had begun to attack it and break away layers of bones. Flowey seemed _pissed_.

Sitting up, the child looked at Grillby and Sans before looking down at her gloved firsts, which had remnants of dust. "…yo… mate a Undyne…" (I… killed Undyne)

Grillby cooled his arms and upper body before swooping down and hugging Frisk as hard as he could. "You did not, my girl. It wasn't you."

Frisk's eyes seemed dull, and wide. "…you… puedes hablar?" (can talk?) she whispered, feeling her head faint once more. The pain of the headache… it was so overwhelming. She could continue to see images of past timelines. Letting go of Grillby, Frisk pushed him away and stood up awkwardly, walking towards the wall of bones that seemed to be crumbling. "…yo… mate a… Asgore," (I… killed Asgore) she whimpered, turning to Sans whose eye sockets widened. Grillby seemed confused, but soon his confusion turned to horror when one of Flowey's vines got through the bone wall, and grasped Frisk with its thorny grip. Blood oozed as the child cried in pain, its body hitting the bone wall as the vine tried to pull her out of the safe area Grillby and Sans had created. Sans' blue eye pulsed as he stopped the vine, but soon an array of green vines followed from the crack it had created. Sans huffed, sending bones in the direction of the new vines and trying hard to stop them from taking Frisk, but all this exertion only caused him to gag and vomit on the side. He shouldn't have gone drinking.

"…p-perdon," (sorry) Frisk whimpered in tears, feeling her red SOUL begin to crack, her HP depleting. Her body hit the bones hard, and in the last few hits, her head bounced off the walls of the bones, cracking open her skull as she fell into immediate unconsciousness. The red liquid rolled down her head down unto her neck, her HP continuing to fall. 5…4…3…2…1…

"N-no!" Grillby shouted, afraid to attack in fear he would hit Frisk, but was too late. Sans slumped down watching as the cracked red SOUL floated in the air.

"W-what's going to happen?" asked Grillby, but soon he noticing a white light that began to come from the red SOUL.

Sans sighed, gripping his skull as the massive headache and nausea continued. "Seeya in a bit, Grillbz." he dryly said, his bone wall disappearing. In the distance, dripping in water, stood Papyrus who seemed had watched the whole ordeal, unable to act against his friend. What was going on?

Before the light engulfed them all, Florencia the angel appeared once more, manifesting with an urgent expression etched on her. "Sans! We're losing Frisk, she cannot remember what happens in the end, please! Shield her from the truth a little longer. Her head injury should keep her in the dark, but make sure you keep her away from…"

Sans was surprised by the urgency in her tone, almost as though, they still had a chance. "…wait!" he called out, feeling his body turn into pixels. Beside him, Grillby seemed in a panic, his flaming hands grasping Sans' shirt. "Trust me." he whispered, and yet somehow, those words seemed so loud and desperate to Sans. Trust him… huh? Both pixelized, fading into the light…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Load… complete.**

 **Frisk**

 **lvl 1**

 **9,954:21**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Floating near the river, Gaster could see the riverboat flowing down towards him, and there, standing idly was that wretched RiverPerson.

"You! Explain!" Gaster demanded in his electronic voice, watching as the RiverPerson seemed to ignore him. "Tra la la~" It sang, returning to its jolly tone, looking ahead while Gaster shouted and shifted around them.

Giving up, Gaster floated to Undyne's house, hoping to see what the outcome had become. Had the happening cemented Chara's success, or had whatever happened somehow… reserved the process?

Floating ever so slowly, Gaster came upon the non-burning home. There, by the window and beside Papyrus was Florencia with that worried-sick expression, watching while her hand gently patted Papyrus' skull.

Flying near them, Florencia turned her head and looked at Gaster with shining eyes. "Her head injury from Flowey's attack… it blocked out the memories." she whispered with a half broken voice, smiling with an underlying sadness. "I-I'm sorry, you hate seeing me get this emotional," she apologized, her hands quickly wiping away the tears that had fallen.

For once… Gaster didn't mind. In fact, he probably felt similar to what she was going through at the moment. "Err… that's uh… I don't mind. Tell me, Florence… as a human soul, what's it like when you die?" he asked solemnly, floating closer to her so that he was behind Papyrus.

Florencia turned to Gaster with an inquisitive look. "W-well… it was really brief, but… it felt like this, e-except that I could hear a voice calling out to me, to cross into a blinding light. I could hear the voices of people I used to know, calling me to join them, but… I didn't. You seem different, Gaster…?"

Clearing this throat, Gaster simple shrugged his shoulders. "I… had a revelation, of sorts. What do you know about the mysterious River Person?" he asked, looking down at Papyrus who seemed so hopeful. He noticed that Florencia seemed confused. "RiverPerson? The one with the long robe? Ah… them… um, well… well now that you mention it, I don't know anything about them, although…"

Gaster felt a warm sensation get closer, and looking down to his left side he noticed that Florencia had gotten closer, her hand grasping his left arm as she leaned forward. "…wait. Gaster… this, revelation you speak of,"

His form trembled slightly; he was not accustomed to being close to anything, let alone being touched. "I hadn't really thought about it, but their voice, and those robes—they're the ones I saw when I died. Well, I didn't die and see them, but soon after I died, and I followed Fl—Frisk, they appeared and offered me an alternative to being stuck as a ghost. They asked me if I was willing to give my soul up for my daughter."

Gaster's face twitched, his right hand grasping her hands. "I don't understand, explain." he spoke firmly, his rumbling voice startling Florencia for a moment.

"W-well, it was strange. Floating there… time was really slow. My little girl was running, but what I saw was her legs moving in slow motion. I could see a light above me, calling to me like I said, but when I refused for the third time, this voice… began to talk. It sounded just like Riverperson now that I think about it. I hadn't really thought about it. It told me I could save my daughter, if I gave up my soul, and I didn't care about anything but my child, so I accepted. That's how… my soul, they meant my SOUL, my DETERMINATION. My red SOUL had been left floating above me, yet it was invisible to the real world. We picked it up, and we caught up to her. Together… we crushed it. It turned into red dust… and then, somehow, a blue SOUL popped out from my little girl. And we coated her SOUL with the dust. The red glow of the dust covered the blue SOUL, turning into a red liquid and it was absorbed. Her SOUL turned red."

Gaster looked at the human with a baffled expression, unable to comprehend any of it. "Everything you said is impossible. One cannot crush a human SOUL, it's simply impossible. They're so strong and…" Gaster began to lecture, but stopped when he realized that this had happened before. "…wait, Romantian's SOUL was crushed after repeated power abuse. I suppose it _could_ be possible. But then, you mean to tell me that Frisk's SOUL is actually blue? One cannot change the coloring,"

Florencia sighed with a shrug of her own, looking through the window and watching her daughter try again. Did she remember what happened? Was Chara trying to gain control again? Her hands grasped Gaster's black cloak in anger, her face furrowing and holding back the overwhelming sadness that loomed over her. Her hands relaxed and she turned to Gaster with a surprised look when she realized that his hand had squeezed hers in a reassuring way, his usual scowling expression replaced by a gentle smile.

"I saw Arial." he breathed out with a smile, chuckling and looking down at his hand, feeling disgusted on the inside and yet a part of him felt at home once more. Florencia wasn't a human anymore. It was okay. "…it's okay." his voice added in a whisper, his electronic voice full of static at first.

Florencia tilted her head in confusion. Arial? But… that was impossible—then again, they had been speaking of impossibles, it couldn't be so far fetched. He seemed so serene in the moment, so different from his eternal hate for humans. Was this the Gaster that Arial had fallen in love with? In a way… he was so similar to Pablo. They were both capable of love, and joy—but when ripped apart from it, they both…

"WOOWIE, UNDYNE CARES SO MUCH ABOUT ME…" Papyrus' voice spoke, breaking the silence that had surrounded Florencia and Gaster.

Gaster blinked, his smile turning into that usual scowl and taking back his hand and arm, floating away from Florencia with that usual cold aloofness. Cracking a smile, Florencia turned around, were in corner of the houses' side yard was a small lone echo flower. Breathing in, Florencia readied herself, her hands stretching out into the empty space in front of her, feeling her hands and arms tingle with power and turning into a blue mist.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans finished his bottle, looking at Grillby with a dazed expression. Was it going to be okay?

The flamesman who had sat beside his friend had unbuttoned the first button and had taken off his bowtie during Sans' explanation which seemed so far fetched and yet, he knew it had to be true. It just had to be. Considering how bad this story seemed, it really would be the reason why Sans was always keeping secrets and acting like he didn't care.

Taking off his glasses, Grillby rubbed the temples of his head, letting out a small puff of fire. "I… do remember saying 'Trust me'. I don't remember why, but I remember I said that, but out of everything you told me, that's all that really sticks out on me. As for Frisk… I… it's deep stuff. If she's being possessed by this 'Chara' demon, why haven't you tried to… I don't know, separate them?" asked Grillby, knowing that his question as probably stupid considering his friend was once a scientist.

Sans smiled, setting his head down on the counter as he let a heavy sigh out. "…it's nice to talk about it, grillbz. i don't know what to tell ya, i just barely found out about frisk not too long ago. i've hurt the kid and killed them god know how many times before i realized she was being made to do it. i've been going to the lab almost every night trying to find a way to solve this, but… ugh, you don't remember, but _**that**_ happened. i thought about going back to get the kid, but… your words wouldn't leave me alone. what can i say, it feels nice to talk to someone about it."

Grillby got up from his seat, hugging Sans who seemed so broken from telling his story. The short skeleton hugged his friend, letting out a sigh and a few grumbled words. For some odd reason, Grillby couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable about being this close to Sans. While in their embrace, Sans mumbled out, "thanks grillbz. you're no steamy, but-"

Grillby quickly pulled away, an intense blush appearing on his cheeks as he made sure the space between the two remained adequate. "…grillbz?" Sans asked, his breath slightly smelling of alcohol and his light blue cheeks giving away the proof that he had been drinking.

"…I remember. You mistook me for Steamy and… uh…"

The two friends stared at each other, both silently processing the words that had escaped Grillby. "…you remember i was drunk out of my mind? i… told you about steamy?"

Looking around the empty bar, Grillby decided to start walking towards the door, knowing that Sans wasn't too inebriated to walk himself. "We should seek out Frisk and prevent whatever happened."

Sans stumbled behind, unable to remember exactly what happened. Why did Grillby look so embarrassed? Why wasn't he asking him about Steamy…?

"…hey grillbz, slow down a bit, eh? i'm sure we've got enough **thyme**." Sans raised his voice, chuckling as his genuine grin returned. Turning around to let Sans catch up, Grillby realized that finally, without Frisk or Papyrus around, Sans was smiling, and his eye sockets seemed worry free, if for a moment. He was back to making jokes on his own with a rejuvenated grin. It was… refreshing.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"F-frisk, are you alright?" asked Undyne, holding the small girl in her arms, shaking her in hopes she'd wake up. Her skin was beginning to turn pale, and Undyne didn't know what to do. What it normal for a human's skin to turn colors?

Emerging from the side of the house, the tall skeleton walked towards Undyne, clearing his throat. "AH! WORRY NOT, UNDYNE, FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, KNOW HOW TO REMEDY THIS!" he exclaimed with pride, smiling while Undyne continued to panic.

Taking the human into his arms, Papyrus hugged the human and began to rock her from side to side, almost like a small baby. "NOW, I SING A LULLABY. UH… HM… W-WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S CORRECT BUT… EHEM…"

Undyne stared at Papyrus with an incredulous expression, but the human seemed to be twitching less and less. "LISTEN HERE, BABY BONES, AND LISTEN UP WELL.

YOU'RE SLEEPING BUT DREAMING OF THINGS NOT SO SWELL.

MY RHYMING IS BAD, BUT SO ARE THE NIGHTMARES;

SO PLEASE THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS IN OUR TOWN OF SNOWDEN.

I'LL MAKE YOU SPAGHETTI, WE'LL BAKE A FEW PIES,

AND I'M SURE THAT SANS WILL SLEEP THE WHOLE TIME.

WE'RE LIKE A FAMILY, YOU, ME AND SANS,

SO PLEASE REST EASY AND DREAM OF THE NIGHT SKY."

Undyne approached the sleeping human, her light snores an indication that she had indeed fallen asleep, and her skin seemed to have returned to normal. In fact… she seemed to be smiling in her sleep. "Wow Papyrus that actually worked. How'd you know what to do?" asked Undyne, her fist lightly punching Papyrus' shoulder. "AH, I MET A NEW FRIEND NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE. THIS TIME, IT WAS A BLUE FLOWER THAT GLOWED WHITE. SHE TOLD ME THAT LULLABYES HELP AGAINST NIGHTMARES."

"…a talking flower? Are you talking about the echo flower I abandoned in the corner of my house? I thought that thing was dead," Undyne brushed off, trying to get past the weirdness of it all. A talking flower? Man… Papyrus had some wild imagination. But who would have said anything about nightmares and by her house? It sounded so weird… perhaps… a little too convenient.

"UNDYNE… WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TO MY HOUSE? I-I THINK METTATON'S SPECIAL IS ON TV TODAY!" asked Papyrus, continuing to rock the small child in his arms. Undyne turned to her house, and she knew she couldn't crash there anymore. "Sure Papyrus. Heh. I haven't been to Snowden in a while,"

Walking slowly, the two friends silently made their way through the caves of the marsh area, the glow of the echo flowers and the stones bringing out a certain level of innocence out of Frisk. "…so, you've grown attached to the human too, huh?" asked Undyne. Papyrus turned to Undyne with that usual grin, nodding in agreement. "WHY CERTAINLY! I TOOK CARE OF HER WHEN SHE GOT SICK, AND GEEZE, WE'VE ALREADY DATED. THE HUMAN IS JUST TRYING TO GET HOME, BUT… BUT NO MATTER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HELP HER AND TOGETHER, WE CAN LIVE ON THE SURFACE AND MAKE ENDLESS SPAGHETTI!"

Startled by Papyrus' words, Undyne stared at the small human girl who had moved, making herself more comfortable in the arms of a skeleton. "…you _dated_ the human? How does that even work…?" asked Undyne, trying to hold in her laughter.

Papyrus blushed, straightening his back as he prepared to give a proper response, but Undyne kept talking. "…omigawd, I mean, she's SO small compared to you! You're like what, 7 feet tall? she's what, maybe 4 feet and some? _How'd you guys smooch_?"

Papyrus by how had stopped walking, his knees buckling as his blush intensified and his mouth was agape by how straightforward Undyne was with questions. "W-WELL," began Papyrus, attempting to explain that there… hadn't been any smooching, but Undyne only kept talking. "And the age difference, GEEZE, well, then AGAIN both of ya'll _are_ pretty wimpy, I suppose,"

"UNDYNE LET ME EXPLAIN!" Papyrus finally managed to say, although it came out as more of a shout as he stomped his feet. Before he could continue however, the human in his arms began to move once more, her head rising as she stared at the two with sleepy eyes. "…Papy?" she asked in a drowsy voice, her small hands rubbing her half lidded eyes.

Both monsters were frozen by how high pitched her voice was when sleepy, and both had mistakenly heard 'daddy' instead of 'Papy.' Undyne whistled, patting Papyrus' back as the tall skeleton's eye sockets shimmered with pride and joy. "THE HUMAN HAS CALLED ME 'DADDY'! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM A FATHER!"

Undyne laughed, her attention turning to the front where two feet shuffled towards them. "Ah, and what, Sans' the mom?" she asked, her laughter intensifying while the human perked up, jumping out of Papyrus' arms and running to the skeleton. "Sans!"

Grillby looked at Papyrus whose knees seemed week and his arms heavy. "Hmm?" Grillby hummed, his attention turning to the human who had embraced Sans and had knocked them both down, her eyes wide open and colored brown. She seemed pretty normal.

"…hey kid, you haven't been _bad to the bones_ have ya?" asked Sans, sitting up as the kid continued to latch unto him, burying her head in his rib cage. "Nah, she just gave me scare," Undyne said casually, beginning walk once more. "She turned colors, but then Papyrus got all fatherly and starting singing a lullaby and she fell asleep, _until_ he woke her up,"

Frisk began to let go, her eyes staring at Sans who had a light blush on his cheeks and he smelled like he had been drinking ketchup… and…

Sans' eye socket raised, almost as though he were cocking his eyebrow if he had any. "…frisk?" he asked, but he noticed that she seemed to be sniffing him. "…you drink too…" she whispered, scrunching up her face and getting up. "I'm going to meet up with monster kid." she announced, waving goodbye and beginning to skip when Sans panicked. "h-hey, wait up kid! uncle grillbz and uncle sans are tagging along,"

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Don't tell my parents!" exclaimed Monster Kid with that usual smile, swaddling along as both he and Frisk walked amongst the echo flowers.

Lagging behind them were Sans and Grillbz, both half whispering to each other while the kids went on ahead and did their thing. "ya know, grillbz, ya could've gone back to snowden,"

The barkeep shrugged, adjusting his glasses as he watched the human girl chase MK (monster kid). "You're right, Sans, I could have. Perhaps RP (RiverPerson) wanted to spend time there… but to be honest, I want to be here. I haven't really taken a day off… not ever, I think. It's nice."

" **Tibia** honest, you're sort of a workaholic, grillbz." chuckled Sans, his hands in the pockets of his shorts. "No **bones** about it," added Grillby with a laugh, his eyes catching San's genuine laughter. There it was again. "But in all seriousness, I want to help you. Something tells me that your overview of the situation was brief and condensed. The problem is bigger than just Frisk and the underground. You don't need to tell me, but, I think, it'd be nice to spend more time like this. It seems to have a good effect on you,"

The two friends stared at each other in their intimate moment of friendship while the two children continued to play in the dark marshes. "Gotcha!" Shouted MK in glee, tapping Frisk with his tail. "Hehehe," giggled Frisk, her face flushed from running around, her eyes glacing at MK who seemed to have blushed. There, with the glow of the echo flowers, the human seemed so pretty. Almost as pretty as she had looked when they had traveled together the last time. There… watching the castle, together. "H-hey, wanna go see the castle again? You really liked it, yeah?" asked MK, noticing that Frisk seemed to perk up. Her eyes began to sparkle with an overabundance of joy. "Yes! I was in such a hurry, I… I didn't get to appreciate it,"

Noticing that the two children had begun to move, Sans shuffled his feet. "we both had to grow up quick, huh? do you remember playing here as kids?" asked Sans. Walking along side of him, Grillby rolled his head back, pondering on the idea. "I… faintly remember, it, yes. What I do remember, is all of us laying down and falling asleep. You told us to dream of the night sky."

Sans had been taken aback by the last few words, forgetting all about that moment. All of us. "…you remember creepy face?" asked Sans, noticing that Grillby had shuddered at the mention. "The royal human? Ah, didn't the prince had a crush on her? As creepy as she was, she was sort of sweet at times."

It had been Sans' turn to shudder, a look of disgust appearing on his expression. "miss murder being _sweet_? no way."

Grillby shrugged. "Well sure, I remember she'd brag about being a ninja or something, but I remember that day. You were asleep, and so was Papyrus. I was pretending to be asleep. The prince was having a bad dream, so she cuddled with him.

Sans laughed with a sarcastic tone. "chara a **cutler**? you were asleep."

Grillby's back stiffened for a moment. "…the royal human is Chara? The demon?" he asked, noticing that Sans sarcastic smile faded away. "…yeah. i don't understand what happened, but she's a demon alright."

Walking past a patch of echo flowers, the two continued to follow the children in case there was trouble. _"Where oh where could that child be…?_ _I've been looking all over for them…"_ Grillby heard one of the flowers, feeling a chill down his spine but continuing onwards.

Far behind, amongst the echo flowers, the golden flower laughed, its eyes glowing red. "H..e..e h..e..e h..e..e. T..H..A..T..'S n..o..t t..r..u..e."

The growing petal ached, it was a reminder that Chara was not to be easily messed with. It was a reminder that even playmates played rough. Hearing the goat mother's voice through that echo flower triggered a few images, all of that tall goat mother welcoming various children and housing them for however long the kids wanted to stay. All of them, each staying in that same room. Shoes everywhere. Pies. "She'll find another kid, and instantly forget about you. You'll NEVER see her again." Flower breathed out with his murderous grin, watching as the human child and monster kid frolicked in the marshes. Something within Flowey felt a lot like Chara, the feeling of her distinct hatred, her rage. They were all fools.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Alphys sighed, sitting on her chair and staring at the smaller monitor. Oh Mettaton… Fabulous as always. Even if Alphys was watching through the tv monitor, she took pride in knowing she helped out a friend. Still… it felt… sad.

"WELL, that's all the time I have today, darlings! Until next time,"

Static.

Taking in a deep breath, she inhaled the smell of ramen, the delectable scent filling her lungs and making her feel slightly better. It was time to watch anime!

Looking through the discs and VHS tapes, she noticed that on the monitor, the human was being accompanied by several monsters. Oh! Sans!

Running to the big monitor, she increased the size of the feedback, the human talking to MK. Behind them, Sans was… Grillby? GRILLBY FROM SNOWDEN? Out of his bar? And with… Sans? Both… talking in an intimate manner.

A blush appeared on Alphy's cheeks. "N-no! Sans, don't do it! Frisk, whyyy?!" cried Alphys, throwing her hands in the air. "I know Sans loves you **! YOU!** " she shouted, pointing at Grillby as she narrowed her eyes. "How **DARE** you come between Sans and Frisk! I expected this from Papyrus, but… YOU!"

Alphys plopped down on her chair, her cheeks red and her face flustered with anger, but at the same time… Sans and Grillby…

She crossed her arms, feeling her nose tingle. "I-I guess my SansXGrillby ship is coming true, b-b-but that was before Frisk!" she sighed to herself, watching as Frisk and MK talked to Onionsan. "Ah! Onion-San!" She exclaimed with glee, chuckling as she clasped her hands. OnionSan was an avid anime fan, although they didn't talk about it much. Hmm… Maybe she could pick up the conversation. Furrowing her eyebrows, Alphys got up and began to tinker with the monitor, trying to catch the sound of the video. "Ugh… I swear I _hate_ myself," she whispered to herself, realizing she had broken the panel a long time ago, back to when she had first settled down here. This was going to take a while.

…

Breathing in, Alphys wiped her forehead. "This… should… do it!" she grinned, sticking the two naked wires together and seeing a spark.

" _Eh… who's that?" asked MK._

Alphys sighed with a content smile, twisting the wires together and coming up from underneath the monitor's panel. "Alright! Now I can… oh, shoot! I'm too late," she pouted, once more falling unto her chair. Although… _who was that_?

"I'm intrigued…" Alphys whispered slowly, reaching for her ramen which had cooled down, her claws used in substitution of chopsticks. Oh, how she wished she could use chopsticks!

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Real Time Monitor Footage**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk turned back and glanced at the three monsters who watched. She turned back to Shyren, startled when she saw music notes coming her way. Dodging them with ease, Frisk smiled and began to hum, swaying her hips and her moving as she danced to the tune, the red SOUL trotting around along with her.

In the background, Sans turned his head, noticing a few monsters peek around the corner as to what the commotion was about. "I've never seen Frisk dance and hum… she seems to be enjoying herself," Grillby spoke, turning to his side but realizing that Sans was no longer standing there… or anywhere. He disappeared.

"Woah! They're good!" exclaimed MK, hopping in place as a few monsters began to gather around.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Alphys gasped. She just HAD to tell everyone on her account! Taking out her phone, she posted about the musical 'battle', but realized… she hadn't been the only one. Upon closer inspection of social media, 'Human X Shyren Concert' was trending, and it was spreading like wild fire. "Wow… WOW. Really! Where did he get the paper?" Alphys gasped, turning back to the monitor and realizing that Sans was back on screen with toilet paper tickets. Did he post about the concert? Looking back at her phone, she looked at the amount of tickets for the concert. Oh. My. God.

They're selling out.

Turning to the monitor, she noticed a few more monsters.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Real Time Monitor Footage**

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Si re, Si re, Si mi, Si mi~" Shyren sung, smiling as the monsters that got near their battle arena began to sway with her tone. She turned to the human and noticed how gracefully she began to dance across the battle field, moving her arms up and down, her humming turning into a song. "Si re, Si re, Si mi, Si mi," Frisk sung, her eyes sparkling as she looked to Shyren, giggling as she continued to dance in her tutu, dodging the last of the musical notes that had appeared.

Grillby looked down at his toilet paper ticket which had been placed on the pocket of his black vest. 'human x shyren concert, 50,000g, sim (super important monster)'

"We're super important!" exclaimed MK, looking behind him and noticing monsters coming in from all corners. "…he's quick about making money. I hope he pays his tab," chuckled Grillby, realizing there was only a few handful of monsters around him. All of them had SIM on their ticket… he hoped they didn't actually pay 50,000G. Now that he thought about it… where did Sans get the toilet paper and the rope to make divisions for the concert 'seats'?

*********°*********•*********°*********

"AHH!" screamed Alphys trying to buy her ticket online, but realizing that all the SIM, VIM, and IM tickets had been sold out. HOW DID IT SELL OUT SO QUICK?!

It was true, Mettaton was the only monster celebrity and form of entertainment… maybe because it was something new and different, monsters were quick to buy tickets? Aw, chucks.

She turned back to her cell phone, noticing that pictures were being uploaded. The line was long!

"N-no matter! I got the best seat in the house," chuckled Alphys, straightening herself in her chair as she began to type fast unto the computer terminal. "Come… on… just… zoom… YES!"

Zooming in, Alphys breathed normally, laying back on her chair.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Real Time Monitor Footage**

*********°*********•*********°*********

In the background, Grillby held a complimentary hotdog, his eyes continuing to watch the now concert, glancing behind him very now and then and watching monsters scurry around and huddle together like a can of sardines. Cheers and waves of arms rang out all across the vast cave, echoing along with the singing coming from both Shyren and Frisk. Grillby had never known about this side of Frisk, then again, he didn't know she was being possessed by a persistent demon bent on killing everyone in the underground. He would think, a child as naïve and sweet as her, would never carry anything dark within her. At first, he hadn't really quite believed Sans' story, not until he heard from Undyne about Frisk's sudden skin change at least. There's no way Sans and Undyne could have lied about that. It was at times like these, when he saw something new and interesting about Frisk, that he wondered what her background was. How did she get so good at dancing? Wasn't she a shy person? Why is she able to dance with such confidence and still be able to lead Shyren? Did she love music? Perhaps he should fix the jukebox at the bar…

"what, ya don't like **hot** dogs? i'll give ya a full refund,"

Startled by Sans' sudden appearance, Grillby jumped in place. "Don't do that… how'd you sell tickets and hotdogs so quick?" asked Grillby, noticing that the tired skeleton was now wearing a miniature concession stand complete with hotdogs and condiments. "…shortcuts."

The roaring crowd continued to adore the duo, socks flying around, and one of them landing on MK's head. "WHOO! DON'T TELL MY PARENTS!" he screamed, jumping up and down with excitement. Grillby quickly took the sock off of MK, shaking his head in disapproval. Socks are private garments that should be worn and not thrown about!

"Hey Sans… did you know Frisk could dance like this? Is this a hobby she enjoyed above ground?" asked Grillby, but realized that by the mesmerized look in Sans' eye sockets, he had not. "she's got a head injury, or something, can't remember things. she doesn't talk much, ifdatswhatya'wonderin'"

Grillby smiled, looking down at the cooled off 'dog and took a bite of it. After what seemed like a good hour or so, Grillby began to notice that Shyren's tune was getting faster and Faster, while Frisk had begun to slow down a bit. By now, the cave was full of monsters—a sold out event it seemed. Sans had continued to sell hot dogs and drinks (along with merchandise?), and MK had continued to cheer on his friend. It was like all the monsters who weren't working or too far away had attended this spontaneous collaboration.

"Are you… okay?" asked Frisk, dodging the aggressive tune and realizing that Shyren had begun to sweat. Behind her were masses of 'roadies' as they called them, all of them chanting Shyren's name and wearing official 'i *heart* shyren' tees.

"Mr. Skeleton! How much are the 'i *heart* frisk' shirts?" asked MK as Sans made his way back once more, his hot dog concession now including two different kinds of shirts. '…well they're normally 50,000G, buuuuuut I could give you a discount. 5,000G. takeitorleaveitbuddy."

Grillby flinched when he heard the outrageous prices, but realized that Sans didn't have that many shirts to begin with, and only a very few select handful of monsters had shirts. Did they really…

"Can you imagine all the concerts they'll throw? They'll be as popular as Mettaton!" Grillby heard, and he realized that Shyren's tune had gotten more aggressive. "Oh… Good luck making money like this in the future, Sans," Grillby muttered, watching as Frisk managed to dodge the musical notes at split seconds. Frisk was getting tired, and Shyren didn't seem to like the aggressiveness of the adoring fans.

Frisk huffed, getting as close as she could to Shyren and extending the palm of her hand. "You're panicking… it's okay. We can stop any time you want," Frisk spoke gently, noticing how relieved Shyren smiled, perking up with sudden happiness. "Let's close this with a farewell tune," giggled Frisk, backing away as she braced herself. Just like her mama taught her… the end must finish in a high note!

"Woah! Go Frisk!" cheered MK, jumping up and down whilst he wagged his tail, glancing beside him where the short skeleton stood, also watching with a certain degree of astonishment. It wasn't too hard to notice how different Frisk and Chara were when it came to dodging and moving around in the battlefield. While both Sans and MK watched the concert's finale, a hooded shadow caught Grillby's attention. "…RP?" he whispered to himself, moving his head as he tried to get a better glimpse of the figure.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"That was SO good!" Alphys squealed, slurping on her drink before setting it down and straightening her back.

From behind, the sound of rubber against the floor sent a chill down Alphy's back, turning and laughing nervously as she stared at the robot before her. "H-hey M-m-m-mettaton,"

What did Mettaton need now? Wasn't it enough that he ditched her?

The giant screen stared back at her, before moving around casually. "I should collaborate with Shyren, I'll pay her a visit once her adoring fans settle down. Tell me _darling_ , was that a human I spotted? Why _on earth_ wasn't I informed of this?"

Alphys bit her lower lip, turning back to the screen. "Mettaton…" she whispered, her eyes watching the smiling girl walk around. Knowing Sans… he might not trust her with the human. How could become friends with Frisk? The last time she got _near_ Frisk, Sans had kept a close watch on her. What if… What if she proved she was trustworthy? Perhaps…

Alphy's eyes turned back to the robot, staring at it before continuing to speak. "…I need you to _act_ like a human killing robot. You need to pretend to want to kill the human because you were built for that? A-and every time you come close to 'killing' the human, I'll rescue her!"

" _Oh_? That sounds like a tall order, honey. I love humans, you haven't forgotten about that, right? Why on earth would-" began to ask Mettaton, his hands on his hips but was interrupted by Alphys who had jumped off her chair and had walked up to her with a certain swagger. She puffed up her chest, and her eyes looked at Mettaton with as much bravado as she could muster up. "Mettaton, you OWE me. If it wasn't for me," Alphys spoke as firmly as she could, pointing her claw at Mettaton as she grew nearer, her heart beating hard against her chest. "You wouldn't be a celebrity, right? A-and you wouldn't have a body!"

The robot stared back at blankly as a robot would. "Alright, Alright! I'll play along with the role, but I expect you to continue improving my new model! Hmph!"

Alphys grinned, but couldn't help but also feel slightly dirty. At least now she had solved two problems with one solution! Asgore would see 'proof' of her advancements, and she'd be able to integrate with the human without having Sans scare her at every moment with that dark side of him. Geeze.

With a sigh, Alphys raised her hand, hoping to apologize and fully explain herself in hopes that Mettaton wouldn't be angry with her, but the robot had stormed off, the wheels leaving behind an angry rubber trail.

"D-dang it, Mettaton!" Alphys sighed, looking back at the screen and realizing that the human was no longer within the camera's range.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Walking back with an umbrella in her hand, Frisk came to a stop and stared at the crumbling statue. It looked so sad.

"Frisk?" asked MK, taking a step forward as the human reached out with her free hand, touching the cheek of the monster statuette. "…it's sad," she whispered, her hands wiping away the rain that fell and curved around the cheeks, making it seem as though it were crying.

Underneath a heat dome, Grillby watched the two children huddle around the statue. To his side, Sans stood snoring in place, the space underneath his eye sockets dark with lack of proper sleep. It had never occurred to Grillby that lately, Sans would show up to the bar late in the early morning hours, just before he usually closed up. Now he understood why… he would go to the lab. When did Sans sleep?

"…Frisk…?" MK asked once more, standing beside the human who had collapsed to unto her knees, sitting there almost in the same manner like the statue. "Frisk, you're getting wet," chuckled MK nervously, nudging the human with his body but realizing that the human was looking down with dull eyes as the rain fell from the ceiling and coveted the three of them. Looking up with light returning to her eyes, Frisk smiled, getting up and hugging MK before opening the umbrella, and placing it around the head of the statue. "I feel like… I've passed this statue so many times, but I always see it in the rain." Frisk explained, a quick flash of a memory flashing in her head.

 _Rain. Lots of rain. And thunder. Loud thunder. Mother's voice. "Donde estas?!" (Where are you?!)_

A gentle tune erupted from within the statue which surprised both of the children, echoing in the cave and soothing whatever flashback had crossed Frisk's mind.

Grillby had eased up, breathing out with relief when he realized Frisk had begun to act normally, looking to his side to find Sans' eye sockets fluttering open. "…that tune sounds oddly familiar…"

Beside Sans was the humanoid silhouette of Chara, her head tilting to the side as she stared at the skeleton. "You remember, silly comedian? You remember bits of Asriel so easily, but you can't remember anything about me without having me to spell it out for you?" she asked, but knew he wouldn't hear her. Puffing out her chest, Chara walked to the statue, staring at its sorry state. "Pathetic. They threw out our statue so easily and replaced it with an annoying talking box. The powerful prince of the underground, felled by humans all because he chose to spare them is now a soulless talking flower and his statue was tossed out. Tch. You're pathetic, Asriel… pathethic."

The statue's music box continued to play while the two children continued to listen to its beautiful melody. The melody… _Their melody_. "…I hate it…" whispered Chara, staring at the statue and remembering how easily Asriel would brighten up when she played it on the piano. _"Chara, let's grow old together," smiled Asriel, his cheeks blushing as he leaned his head unto Chara's shoulder. Taking her hands off the piano, the human turned to the goat, smiling mischievously. "Sure, we are best friends forever, right? I mean, why wouldn't I want to tease you for the rest of my life," winked Chara, her finger poking the snout. "H-hey…"_

Frisk looked at her hands, feeling as though she was able to play the tune. She wondered… "Hey, let's go back to the piano," she whispered, turning to Grillby and Sans who seemed to be talking amongst themselves before turning back to the way they had come from.

Once in the room where the legendary artifact was stored, Frisk stared at the piano which felt familiar in some sense. "You know how to play it?" asked MK, standing beside the dusty piano. "…no. I don't… but there's a tune I know how to play, it's strange…" Frisk replied, placing her hands on the piano keys and immediately they moved along the keys into place, as if she had played the piano countless times. Pressing down on the keys, Frisk looked down in amazement as music began to play, unable to believe she was able to replay the melody that had played from the statue. How did she do that?

"Whoah! That's so cool!" gasped MK, turning to the wall which had begun to move, opening a passageway. He turned to the two adults who seemed taken aback by the suddenness of it all, watching as Frisk began to smile while a silent tear rolled, continuing to play the music even though the door had opened.  
The skeleton had slowly shuffled his way to the human, his pink slippers stopping once he was beside her, his hand grasping one of the human's hands and holding it tightly. "…stop it kiddo. that's not your song." Sans whispered, his eye sockets a solid black. _Scary_. MK backed away while the flamesman grew nearer. Why did Sans seem so serious and angry?

Frisk stared at the piano, words popping into her mind and her lips speaking without even thinking of them. "Kids like _me_ should be burning in hell." The skeleton shuddered at the words, realizing that Frisk's eyes had been glowing red momentarily before turning back to normal. That innocent child turning to him, confused by his sudden nervousness, tilted her head. Her other hand was placed on top of his, flutter her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Feeling a warm air growing nearer, the two turned to Grillby who was now standing between the two of them, his cooled off hands patting their heads before moving his head in the direction of the opened passage. Silently, the barkeep walked to the next room with MK, hearing the footsteps of the short skeleton and human behind him. Grillby stopped walking when he heard the clicking of a cell phone.

"…uh… who you callin'?" asked Sans, looking down at the child. "…Papyrus..? I'm in a room with a piano, did you make this puzzle?" she asked, looking at Sans who seemed confused. Instead of that lovable voice, Undyne spoke. "Oh? Yeah! YEAH! I made that puzzle! Really, it was just an excuse to put a piano there. I love FIGHTING THE IVORIES!"

Sans perked up, hearing Undyne's voice coming from the phone. "…sounds **fishy** , since when does she play a piano?" he asked, noticing the confusion in Frisk. "…what's ivories?" she asked when she heard Undyne hang up. "you know, playin' da piano," Sans coolly replied, closing one of his eye socket. Immediately, a wave of enthusiasm filled Frisk and she called once more. "Teach me!" she squealed when she heard Undyne's voice. Undyne's laughter echoed in the cave before responding, "Maybe I'll play you something sometime!" Beginning to walk with Sans, Frisk giggled as she put away the phone, looking at the skeleton who had closed both of his eye sockets. "…I'm tired too," she whispered, her accent apparent as she walked into the next room where Grillby and MK stared at a red ball. This was the legendary Artifact? It shined and seemed to be made of rubber.

Sans opened one of his eye sockets and froze in place when he realized it was the same red ball they'd all play with. What was that doing here? Then again, what was the family piano doing in the middle of a puzzle? Did Asgore decide to get rid of all the mementos that Asriel and Chara played with?

Frisk walked up the artifact, but suddenly, a bark emanated from her satchel. Huh? The latch on her satchel swung open, and a small, white fluffy dog emerged, growing bigger as it jumped up with its cute appearance. A dog? In her bag? That seemed impossible! It jumped towards the pedestal where the ball was in, grabbing it with its mouth before it jumped away. The dog's tune played as everyone watched in confusion, whereas Sans watched with an empty feeling in the pit of what would have been his stomach.

"Nooo! Our awesome legendary artifact!" MK shouted dramatically, lightening up Frisk's face. "Oh well… Let's go see the castle like we said we would! Come on, before my parents start wondering where I'm at!"

Staying behind, Sans stared at the empty pedestal, turning to Grillby who seemed confused. "…what's wrong, Sans?" he asked. "…nothing." he mumbled, but a familiar heavy presence sent a chill up his spine. "…though i think it's pretty **ballzy** for chara to show up."

Grillby's head snapped in the direction of the black mass which had appeared in the passage way, blocking their path and cutting them off from the children who had gone on ahead. "Sansy~ Are you feeling better? I see you decided to involve your _new_ BFF. Tsk, tsk, you monsters really _are_ despicable like us humans. I can't believe I thought you were different."

Grillby could feel goosebumps roll up his arms and roll down his spine, staring at the black mass which seemed to be taking a humanoid shape. Pale, delicate skin which seemed to be cracking, and red piercing eyes… This was the Chara that Sans spoke of. The demon.

She was different. If Grillby recalled correctly, back then, when they were younger, Chara was much shorter, and younger looking. She looked to be slightly older than Frisk, but younger than this teenager seeming Chara… still, about the same height as Frisk. This demon was taller. What was going on?

"…what happened, to him." whispered Sans, looking down as his skelly hands shook with anger. Grillby looked at Sans, but the shadow looking over his face made it impossible to see his expression. As his skull moved up, his empty eye sockets stared at Chara who seemed to be staring back with an intimidating smile. Before Grillby could ask what was wrong, Sans' left eye returned in a form of a blue one, glowing wildly as his grin turned into a frown. The atmosphere around Sans turned immediately hostile, and Grillby walked back until his body was against the walls of the cave, watching as his best friend trembled with a dangerous anger. The blue glow seemed contagious, the white furs of his jacket rising against gravity and a blue, crystal clear liquid rolled down his right empty eye socket—was that a tear? The blue essence floating around Sans as his eye sockets lowered in a form of anger.

Chara raised her chin, her form taking a few steps towards the hostile skeleton with all the confidence of the world, her right hand going through her butterscotch hair as she chuckled. "That passionate rage… are absolutely sure you don't want to join me in destroying the world?" asked Chara with a wink, laughing as her form shifted into a black mass that evaded an array of bones. "So persistent! Fine. You want to know what happened to Asriel? The same thing that happened to me."

Grillby watched as bones appeared and flew across the cave, all of them trying to hit the shifting demon who only laughed when bones passed through its black mist. The bones stopped, and the angry skeleton stared at humanoid demon who had begun to walk towards him once more. "You think we're playing a game of two, but really, _now_ it's a game of three… wasn't that what you wanted? You wanted to include him, didn't you?"

Just as Grillby was about to walk towards the two, several giant skulls appeared that blasted blue beams. _Blue beams_. "What in the world…" whispered Grillby to himself, realizing that only one of the skulls remained and was floating beside Sans while the demon reappeared, her hands on her knees as she leveled her head with his so that their eyes could stare at each other.

"I've had fun so far…" whispered Chara as she licked her lower lip before biting it. "I'll **bite**. Your father's in deeper than you thought. He didn't just casually fall down _… I heard you_. You wanted to blast him with this sick puppy… I obliged. I did it for you."

Sans' slippers were stuck on that cave floor. Gaster? She killed Gaster? That was impossible, no one was with him when it happened. He shuddered when he felt the icy cold touch of Chara's hand sliding down his right cheek, sweat forming as his Gaster Blaster blasted her form away, only to have it return once more in front of him. Creepy.

"I didn't do it just for you, don't flatter yourself. He owed us. _We_ were just children, after all. You want to know what happened to Asriel and I? Go to the secret lab, and find out. Heh. Then, destroy Alphys and Asgore while you're at it, they had a hand in it too. Kill _**everyone**_. " giggled Chara, her form disappearing into the black mist and fading into the air.

Grillby breathed out several flames, warming up his arms which had been chilly. What was _that_? "…Sans?" he asked as she slowly got nearer, noticing that the giant floating skull had disappeared and the fur around Sans' neck had lowered. His skull turned to him, and his eye eyes had returned, although he seemed to still be sweating. "…heh. welcome to hell, it's cold in here." he chuckled, looking ahead towards the cleared passage. "Sans, what's going on? What did she mean?" asked Grillby, but the short skeleton began to walk instead. "…i gotta few errands to do, do you mind taking care of Frisk?"

And just like that, he disappeared.

Countless days and nights had passed. Weeks. Grillby had become accustomed to entertaining Frisk at the bar while she asked for him. As usual, someone else spoke for him. Board games, every night before Papyrus came and picked her up, every night… and every day she would come in at the same time, asking if he was working somewhere far away. Said that he usually showed up right at bed time to tell her and Papyrus their bed time stories, and that she'd fall asleep and wake up in her bed.

Had Sans lost it when the demon appeared? What happened? What were these 'errands' he spoke of before he went completely AWOL?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk opened her eyes as soon as the door shut closed. She was going to find out where Sans went to. Changing into her usual clothes, and grabbing her satchel, Frisk tippie toed out of her room, hearing the front door close. Sans was gone. Before trailing behind him, she realized that he had left the door to his room unlocked. It was dark. VERY dark. She hadn't really snooped around in his room, not alone at least. She had always been with Papyrus when Sans was out cold, sleeping. Hmm. She heard wind coming from his room—odd, why was there wind? She approached the inside of the room, when a ball of paper hit her head, along with a banana peel. Eww. Eww. Eww. Garbage! More items began to knock her head, before she stuck out her head out of his room and outside, her hand grasping the first paper that had hit her.

Huh.

'dr. semi castellar (great grandpops dad side)

dr. courier new …symbol? (grandpops dad side)

dr. times new roman (grandpop mom side)

dr. horatia ? (grandmomz mom side)

dr. calibri verdana (mia grandmomz dad side?)

fonts were evil. semi and roman innocent?

too many names. too many papers.

w.d.a. big project. ancient language?'

Frisk stared at the paper in confusion. It looked like Sans' handwriting. Hm… popping her head back inside the door, the wind continued rage, trash hitting her head until she felt another paper. Her hands grasped the empty gusts of wind, until finally she caught another paper. Maybe this one will make more sense.

'rockwell and franklin gothic

half breeds.

rockwell sedated. tortured. experimented.

son of a dafont. dunno which

franklin gothic. lucky. human. adopted.

hunted down. captured by courier.

semi tried to set him free.

human… exterminated by experiment r-001

…

"rockwell ray".

giant skull of dragon-ghoul.

courier's pet experiment.'

Frisk squinted at the paper, deciphering a few of the words but still greatly confused. Sans sure did use big words even though he was a lazy bones. Throwing the two papers back inside the room, Frisk continued to tippie toe around the house, until she came outside. It was dark alright. With a heavy sigh, she decided it was a good a time as any to continue her journey. Perhaps Sans worked somewhere… further inside the underground? She needed to continue exploring, and she had explored much of the marshes already. Her best friend, MK, would accompany her around, and together they'd play in the echo flowers and talk—he was a really sweet monster.

Making her way to the river bank, Frisk noticed that the river boat was slowing down. Ah! RiverPerson! "Hey!" giggled Frisk, skipping over to the monster as she waved hello. "Tra la la. Hello, hello~ Isn't it late, for a child to explore?~" asked RP with the usual tune.

Frisk shook her head. "I'm seven years old! I'm a big girl! I need to find Sans… I'm really worried. Does he have a lot of jobs everywhere?" asked Frisk as she set foot inside the river boat. "La la la~ Yes he does~ He works real hard~ To pay the bills~ He naps all day~ he works at night~ a smiling skelly~ who hates his dad.~"

The river boat turned into a wooden dog, but this time, Frisk was not amazed. What did RP say? "…he hates his papa?" she asked, looking up to the tall robed monster. RP continued to look ahead, but it seemed like it decided to sit down beside Frisk. Its robed arm reached out for the human, its empty hood looking straight at her, and two lights appearing like stars. What beautiful starry eyes! "Tra la la~ Remember to take a break every-so-often..." spoke RP, patting the top of Frisk's head much like Sans would do when he was being like Uncle Juju or Papa. Although no hand touched her head, it felt like a warm hand had patted her… almost like when Grillby would attempt to do it, but never did because he'd burn her hair. It was strange.

The boat ride ended, and Frisk stepped out of the river boat, turning to RP as they continued to sit in the boat, looking on ahead. "La la la~ The water is very wet today. Goodbye."

Frisk blinked, watching as they floated away. RP was so strange sometimes. Turning around, she made her way to Hotland, noticing two guards standing in the path. Oh no! She turned to the right and saw a building… a lab? Hmm.

She walked to the door, and realized it was open. Walking inside, she realized that the lights were off and it was super dark in here. She stumbled around, her hands held out as she tried to avoid hitting herself or falling down. She continued to walk until she heard something. What was that?

The lights turned on.

Their eyes met, and Alphys panicked inside. Oh. My. Goodness.

 _She was here._

"Oh. My god." Alphys whispered, her arms flying up to her head as her body began to twitched on both sides. "I didn't expect to see you so soon!" She squealed with excitement, but she wondered if Mettaton was ready. After all, they did have time to go over a few scenerios where Alphys could come up on top as a hero of some sorts, without putting Frisk in any actual danger—but just enough to make it seem as though Mettaton really was a human killing machine.

Then… reality hit. "I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and…" she freaked out, moving around in place but realizing that the human was staring at her as though she were being weird. Oh no! "Umm… H-h-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm ASGORE's Royal Scientist."

She noticed that Frisk seemed to flinch, taking a step back. Immediately, Alphys began to talk once more. "B-b-but, ahhh, I'm not one of the 'bad guys'! Actually, since you stepped out of the RUINS, I've um…"

Frisk took a step closer, tilting her head as she noticed a huge blush appear on the fair peach scales. Alphys' foot grinded the floor as her hand gripped her arm bashfully. "…been 'observing' your journey through my console. Your fights… your friendships… your everything! I was originally going to stop you, but… Watching someone on the screen really makes you root for them."

A smile spread across Frisk' face, and Alphys smiled herself. Good! Good! Progress! Alphys continued to speak, "S-so, ahh, now I want to help you! Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland. I know a way right to ASGORE's castle, no problem!"

Frisk gasped, her eyes growing big and shining as she approached Alphys with a smile. Home! She was going home, back to Papa! Her journey was almost over…

Alphys noticed the enthusiasm in her, but she realized… she couldn't make it too easy. What if she left before they became friends? Her eyes turned to the wall, hearing the muffled sounds of rubber. Mettaton was near. This wasn't exactly how they practiced… but she was going to give his cue anyways. "Well, actually, there's just a tiny issue. A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot. Uh… you know, like a robotic TV star or something. Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful. You know, just some small practical adjustments… Like um…"

The human seemed confused by a few of her words, her lips parted as though she was ready to ask questions, but Alphys continued to talk. She had to finish the cue. "…Anti… Anti-human combat features? Of c-course when I saw you coming, I immediately decided… I have to remove those features! Unfortunately I may have made a teensy tiny mistake while doing so. And um… now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?"

Alphys laughed awkwardly, noticing how pale Frisk seemed to have turned, her eyes droopying down and her expression going completely blank. Oh boy… did she mess up? Clearing her throat, Alphys continued. "But uh… hopefully we won't run into him?"

Frisk could feel her heart beating slowly, pumping blood against her chest as she grew frightened. A human hunting robot? Could it be more trouble than Undyne? Could she even try to spare a robot without feelings?

Feeling the floor tremble beneath her, Frisk snapped out of her thought bubble, the wall on the side bursting open. "Oh no!" gasped Alphys, and Frisk shielded her eyes, taking a few steps back as something seemed to roll on by.

"OHHHH YES! WELCOME BEAUTIES..."

It was dark, and this electronic voice frightened Frisk more and more, although it didn't sound so… deadly.

Maybe Frisk shouldn't have sneaked off.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Two more weeks and it'd be October. According to Frisk, she fell down on November the 1st. It was almost a year, and Grillby was sure he'd throw her a party. Make her feel at home. Perhaps… she'd stay with them.

Grillby sighed, sweeping the floor as he hummed, looking up when the door to the bar opened. "We're closed," Grillby spoke, but the sound of a familiar set of pink slippers shut him up. Looking up, he saw Sans with lines underneath his eyes, gripping unto a plastic bag that seemed to be full of papers. "…fonts are monsters." he mumbled, walking to his usual seat, letting his head hit the counter with a loud 'thud'. "give me the special combo, grillbz. make it two. you'll need it."

Setting the broom aside, he nodded without questioning him, walking to the back of his bar and preparing the two orders in silence. When he finished, he sat down and set the orders beside the bag, and immediately his boney hands moved the bag away from the food. "…careful grillbz, these papers are **ancient**. you wouldn't want **dust** on ya meal, right?"

Setting out a few of the papers, Grillby turned pale and his stomach turned into a knot. Sans wasn't joking. The dust… it was actually…

"…dafont family of ghouls, meet grillbz. grillbz, meet whatever is left of my ancestors. chara was right. i found these papers locked up tightly, and they're mementos my dad took from the labs in the surface before they were destroyed. dadster never spoke about my _real_ grandpop. he spoke about grandpop semi instead… and now i know why. this isn't everything I found, but… but this was all I could **digest** this week. just a few papers out of stacks…"

Grillby watched as Sans took the clear glass of special ketchup, chugging the whole thing before he let out a long sigh, a blue blush appearing as he looked beside him. "…We're getting worried about you, Sans. Frisk is really worried. You don't have to go through this by yourself anymore, I'm here now. Whatever mad scientists your ghoul family descended from, I'll be here to share the burden… so… let's start reading, eh?"

The candles burned throughout the night, dusty papers being read, all of them written by different fonts, or ghouls. Dr. Segoe, Dr. Kartika, Dr. Palatino… … _Dr. T.N. Roman_.

Grillby sipped on his drink. "Ya know, you got his grin," chuckled Grillby, noticing the smile on Sans. "…yeah. momster told me that too, i just never saw a picture of him. now i know why mom thought of that dusty red scarf as sacred." whispered Sans, looking at the close up picture of his grandfather. The ghoul had a grey skin color, and his grin was identical to Sans'. He had dark eyes with a white pupils, and around his neck was a majestic red scarf. On his left eye he seemed to wear a battle scar, and he wore a a battle helmet despite his… scientific background. A warrior, a doctor? Grillby looked at the paper carefully, noticing how this Dr. Segoe seemed to be focusing on Dr. Roman's relationship with Dr. Horatia. "... they were experimenting on their own kind to see results, and he didn't even know about it. According to this file, Roman wasn't the only ghoul." Grillby said, noticing how Sans nodded with disgust. "…yeah. _very few_ dafonts were 'half breeds' like me. we were rare. i think we can figure out why."

Grillby looked down at the names. "…Rockwell… Franklin Gothic… they were half fonts that they had imprisoned in the labs." he spoke in disbelief, noticing that Franklin was a human while Rockwell was a monster. What determined their… status as human or monster? Who were their parents?

Sans sighed, taking the paper away from a silent Grillby, putting it inside the bag and pushing the dust off the counter and into the bag as well. "…it's almost morning, grillbz. if you really wanna find out more… show up behind my house and knock anytime i'm not home nappin'."

And just like that, Sans got up and left, staggering.

Grillby was at a loss for words. What kind of dark history did the fallen monster empire bury behind?

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy Barks:**

*********°*********•*********°*********

… … … … …

Uh… really sorry about that. Here is the rest of the chapter for _When Flowers Attack_.

So.

So sorry for the dark… darkness of it. It'll brighten up.

Or not, if the *LOVE ending is chosen ;3

Once I get to the last two chapters, I guess I'll start asking about what ending I should post first. Maybe… *LOVE ending? Or *DETERMINATION? I think I wanna save the cheesy, slightly fluffy *love ending as last since that might be the one I might continue with a sequel(s).

Maaaan, do I have a sequel(s) in store… Part of FlorenceTale, my AU which I've been alluding to? _ But I guess I'll have time to develop that later huh. I'm getting too ahead of myself.

Thanks for bearing with me and my really bad updates.

For those of you who red through my rants, here is a sneak peak: The chapter will be more fluff than whatever this is called… angst and despair? _Undertale the Musical_. Just children, being children _._ Alphys has no chill. The Great Detective Papyrus. Late Night with Grillby and Sans. The Red Ball of _**doooom**_. _**Rex**_ aling. Rebuilding the CORE. Mudpie and Grasstea. Boop-da-snoot.

*P.S. I had to update cause it wouldn't accept the heart sign and it looked like 3. lol.


	10. Playtime with Chara

*********°*********•*********°*********

Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are puns.

 **Quick note** : Chara has tempered with the program? Fourth Wall breaking?

 **A/N** : 'Undertale the Musical' chapter will be the next one. I realized that this chapter was getting pretty long… (original chapter was ¾ done 26k-ish words before it was lost, details at the end of chapter) so I decided to cut it in half.

Also, **the lyrics used belong to Rebecca Sugar**. Yes. Steven Universe lyrics, shocking. It's an absolutely beautiful song.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter 10: Playtime with Chara**

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Loading Complete!

Frisk

Lvl 1

12,042: 13

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Load: CHARA_ , Opening_

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Run: CHARA_ , Opening_

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Leading Female Protagonist, director?- Chara the Human :)

Leading male Protagonist- Sans the Skeleton *heart*

Major Supporting Roles- Asriel Screamurr, some robot and some other human.

Opening Comments: No adults were involved in the making of this obviously awesome drama/comedy/musical (ew, really?)

Opening Plot:

In the midst of continuing her endeavor of controlling a clueless human in order to stop the evils of the world (monsters and humans), CHARA, the brave and perfect protagonist encounters a robot-celebrity. Pausing her cleansing war path to absolute destruction and salvation of the world, CHARA decides to have a little bit of fun, just like in the old days and record it for when she destroys everything. Who said world conquest wasn't fun? :)

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Chara's Ghostly World

*********°*********•*********°*********

Chara opened her eyes, grinning as they loaded from the SAVE point. It was time for some fun, eh? Although she didn't quite understand the mechanisms around the LOAD, SAVE and RESET, she knew just enough from all the countless times in the past how to penetrate the .EXE files. It was tough. It was dangerous. Granted, she didn't know what she was doing half of the time, but… Undertale_the_ seemed like an easy file read and learn from. It was its own standalone integrated file that mingled with their world, but for some reason, it only involved the events around Mettaton. Tch. Reading into the files, she realized… why didn't she make her own file from scrap? It would be easier to start out small… a good experiment, _Gaster would be proud_ , surely.

Chara yawned, watching as the events unfolded once more. **"Chara… I'm scared,"** whimpered Frisk inside her head, but there was only silence. In her ghostly form, Chara crossed her arms and looked around, noticing a few glitches in the ceiling that no one else could see, but other than that, her program seemed to be integrating just fine with Frisks' regular file.

Did 'Toby Fox' really think no one would mess with his 'software' as he calls it? Who was Toby anyways?

"Probably an annoying dog," Chara huffed under her breath, looking back up at the ceiling and seeing a hole into a dark void, glitching in and out. Well… it wasn't perfect but as long as she's the only one seeing this…

"Oh my, Chara! The sky has a hole!" Florence gasped, her hand on her mouth as she stared at the phenomenon. Typical Florencia, always appearing when she least wanted her to appear. Chara chuckled, her hand rubbing her temple. "Yeah, no duh, Florencia. They can't see it, it's fine, it's the first time I try it." Chara replied in between her teeth, trying to hold in her anger.

The angel turned to Chara with a confused expression. "You… did that? What? H-How? W-what… I don't understand," she asked in her Hispanic accent, watching as Chara floated up, towards the glitch in the program. "The same way Frisk and I can SAVE, LOAD and RESET. It's some kind of… power that writes some kind of code. I understand you're quite the catholic, Florencia, but tell me, did you see God when you died?" Chara asked, turning to the Angel who turned serious at the question. "Chara… My prayers were answered by him when my little Flor survived. I do not need to see him to know he exists somewhere." Her adamant voice answered, furrowing her eyes when she realized where this was headed.

Chara laughed, swinging her arms in the arm. "So you didn't see him? Well, let me tell you something interesting, Florencia… Our world… _this world_ … it's predetermined. I saw it! I swear, I saw it! It's like… we're just some pawns, and everything is decided. We're just… choosing little branches on a big, planted tree. The most peculiar thing about our powers… our ability to SAVE and LOAD… to… RESET? It's just a small gateway into something bigger... the ability to control the world. This file I created, it's just the beginning! Do you hear me, Florencia? I'm just a few steps from becoming a goddess!" giggled Chara, her grin growing bigger as she flew towards the angel, her hands grabbing her cheeks and stretching them out into a forced smile.

Florencia held her breath, her eyes wide as she stared at the child who was up close, her rosey cheeks seeming so innocent and yet her wicked smile and giggles sent shivers down her spine. Was this true?

…N-no. No. Her faith shouldn't be so easily shaken. Her eyes immediately shifted to the glitching hole, noticing that a crack had appeared, and a familiar white face had appeared on the other side. "G-G-Gaster?" Florencia asked herself, noticing the way Chara's grin had disappeared. Her ruby eyes stared at her, noticing that Florencia's eyes were staring behind her—there on the glitchy hole. A nervous laugh escaped those porcelain lips, and she immediately let go of the angel, turning to see with her very own eyes the remnants of Dr. W.D. Gaster.

"Bloody Hell. You're not supposed to exist, old man," Chara's voice breathed out with a chilled tone, her hands beginning to tremble as her eyes watched the ghostly man throw his body against the black hole.

Florencia was at a total loss of words, her eyes noticing that a glass barrier was what seemed to hold Gaster in his void. That void… the one she could go to. It was just one glass barrier away. It seemed so surreal, probably because… she never saw it as such. She just… faded into another dimension. Was she actually crossing a barrier…?

 _Crack._

Chara's high pitched gasped brought Florencia back from her thought bubble, and they both stared at the glass which appeared to be shattering.

 _Crack_ _ **! Clink!**_

Florencia watched as Chara snatched a small piece of glass, her hand letting it fall as blood appeared on her hand where the glass had touched her. A cut?

"Son of a…" Chara gritted through her teeth, curling up and looking at the cut in her hand which had now turned into a burn mark, small red pixelized blocks appearing. "Oh… shit. F-Florencia do something! If that wall breaks, we're gonna turn to blocks, do'yahear?" Chara commanded, turning back to the angel who seemed to staring at the empty space to her right. "FLORENCIA!" she shouted, agitated and breathing faster as the hole behind her continued to crack under Gaster's attempts to cross over.

The angelic figure stared at the hooded RiverPerson, turning to Chara and realizing that she couldn't see him…her… err… _it_.

Raising its head, the river person's twinkling eyes stared at the angel before turning to the growing hole in the sky. "It'd be bad, to wait and see. Close the barrier, with this seed. But for now, pass this scene—A stitch in time, is all we need."

 _ **Crack!**_

Chara turned around, her volcanic eyes meeting the vengeful pair of whites that Dr. Gaster held. Both specters held their breath, staring at each other through the broken hole. Reaching towards her, Gaster's hand felt the static around his hand as it tried to pass whatever unspoken barrier was between them, his hand shaking under the immense pressure on Chara's side. Opposite to him, Chara trembled with uncertainty and fear for the unknown. Sure, she would become a goddess eventually but for now… without Frisk's SOUL, she was as vulnerable and pathetic as Asriel. Gaster? Who knows what kind of untold power he's had available to him. Holding in her breath, she watched as his hand began to materialize in their world, blocks of pixels coming together around his ghostly limb to solidify it.

" _ **OHHHH YES! Welcome Beauties…"**_

Chara could hear the annoying robot in the background, and she noticed that the hole had begun to glitch once more… along with it, Gaster's hand. A grin once more appeared on Chara, noticing that Gaster's smile had disappeared and had been replaced by an angry frown. His solidified hand had begun to float, the hallow part glowing an orange color. Without thinking much on it, Chara dodged to the left side, her eyes widened when she saw the orange beam turn into orange orbs shooting in her direction and cutting her right calf. He _actually_ hurt her. In this form. In this space. Her heart began to race, noticing that the hole had begun to glitch continuously, until it finally disappeared—his hand along with it.

She turned to where Florencia had been, but realized, she too had disappeared.

She let out a sigh of relief, chuckling to herself as she realized her side project had been fruitful, but seemed to be more than she bargained for. She looked down at her calf, realizing that the cut seemed to sting, just as any injury would if one was mortal. The red oozing liquid glitched into red pixels momentarily, and for a moment, she felt almost… human.

Heh.

"Back at it, aren't ya, Gaster? I won't let you hurt me, _or_ Sansy anymore. I'm the only one who gets to play with him, and the only one who has the right to _play god_."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back with Frisk…

*********°*********•*********°*********

"OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT SHOW! EVERYONE, GIVE A BIG HAND TO OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANT! NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?"

Frisk stared at the giant calculator—was it a calculator? Well, whatever it was, it seemed… friendly. She shook her head, wondering what this was about.

WOAH. Wait. A… giant calculator…

"Mettaton!" Frisk exclaimed with enthusiasm, realizing why the square robot seemed so familiar. It wasn't because she died, it was because it was the box from inside the tv, the one that Papyrus absolutely loves. Ohmaigawd.

Mettaton tried not to seem so surprised (not that he could to begin with), turning to the hidden camera. "No problem! It's simple! There's only one rule: Answer correctly… or you die!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile… At Grillby's

*********°*********•*********°*********

Turning on the telly, Grillby yawned as he swept the last of the corner of the bar. One hour of sleep, and it was back to opening the bar. On cue, the static on the TV was replaced by Mettaton's figure. Late Night Game Show, more like, Early Morning Game Show. Eh, whatever suits Mettaton.

"HELLO BEAUTIFUL VIEWERS! Tonight, on Mettaton's Game Show, I give you a real treat! Tonight's guest star is the one, the only… the HUMAN! Straight from the surface, this human has captivated the hearts of many monsters with her singing, her dancing, and her MERCY! Well known for her collaboration with Shyren, she hopes to free us monsters from the underground! My, what a sweetheart! Let's go meet the human!"

The door to Grillby's bar had shut close behind him as his feet carried him across the snow, huffing and puffing as he came upon the familiar house. Would Sans be asleep right now? He should be. But he wouldn't be, right?

Making his way around the house, he came across the hidden door Sans had talked about. "Prove me wrong…" he whispered to himself, knocking on the wooden door but realizing it was much harder than what it appeared. A few seconds later, the wooden door slid to the side, and Grillby noticed everything about his hidden basement was in fact metal.

Sans' weary eyes stared at the flaming mass of confusion. "who's there?" he asked with a small smile, moving aside as though to let him inside but instead the flamesman stared at him. "...Did you know Mettaton has Frisk as a special guest on his late night game show?"

A small chuckle escaped Sans, his eyes darting down unto the floor. "...uh… grillbz, you're really bad at knock-knock jokes, ya'know?"

Still standing outside the door, Grillby shook his head. "It's not a joke. Mettaton is on TV, it was really dark, but it was certainly not Snowdin. Are you sure Frisk is asleep upstairs?" asked Grillby, noticing the slight confusion on Sans' tired face. "...gas planets, this kid had better be in her bed or i swear i'm gonna…" he grumbled under his breath, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, his shoulders slouching down. Grillby moved his head, noticing that the space seemed a bit cramped but full of high-tech. A light snore startled Grillby who looked down upon Sans, his chest rising and falling along with his shoulders. "…naturally. The things I do for friends…"

With Sans on his shoulder, Grillby took a few steps, pausing when the door automatically closed shut. His feet had walked towards the front door of the Snowdin home, but then Grillby realized that the living room lights were off, and there was certainly no TV light on. Papyrus must be asleep. If they went in and turned on the TV, surely, Papyrus would hear it. They never _do_ watch the telly at a reasonable volume. Instead, Grillby made his way back to his bar as fast as he could, but then he realized… Mettaton's Late Night Game Show starts at 4 AM. His bar opens at 4 AM.

Uh oh.

Upon arriving to his bar, he was greeted by a few patrons who had taken their usual seats. "Sansy?" asked one inquisitive patron in a booth. Grillby could only stare, his free hand pushing his glasses back up as he cleared his throat. Before he could speak, the telly caught his attention, his eyes staring at the image of Frisk seemingly scared and with a control pad in front of her while Mettaton conducted his quiz show—Dr. Alphys to the side and looking quite nervous. The background… it was definitely familiar. It was the old CORE CONTROL building, where the labs and old condominiums used to be.

"WELCOME BACK FROM THE COMMERCIAL BREAK, LOVES! I HOPE YOU WEREN'T _TOO_ ANXIOUS~ NOW, Frisk, darling, here is your next question,"

Frisk seemed to have calmed down a bit, her eyes darting to Dr. Alphys before looking back towards Mettaton. "What's the King's full name?"

Grillby could feel the eyes of his patrons on him. Using his usual suave voice, he simply said, "…I'm taking my legally required break now."

Although it was highly unusual, and the patrons had been baffled, they realized that Grillby did in fact work full time, overtime and basically almost never left his bar… so… him taking a break now was probably the least he could ask of them. The small clique of dogs who usually showed up around this time huddled up around a table, ready to play some poker while they waited. Doggo looked over to the other non-dog patrons and narrowed his eyes, assuming dominance almost immediately. He had lit a dog treat earlier while they waited for Grillby, and now he let out a puff of smoke while Grillby readjusted Sans on his shoulder and turned around. Before he departed, Doggo coolly stated, "Don't worry about it, Grillby. I'll keep an eye out while you take your break. My sentry can wait for me."

It hadn't occurred to Grillby just how much his patrons appreciated him. In fact, it hadn't really crossed his mind that his business was… basically him. Day and night… day after day… just him and the bar.

… _**Why?**_

" _You're such a workaholic, Steamy,"_

Grillby could feel an immersive headache coming along, his mind hurting with what seemed to a memory of himself saying that. But uh… who in blazes is Steamy? Why did he say that? Why… was he looking up to someone so bright?

He left the bar and made his way to the river bank, hoping RP would be there.n Grillby sighed in relief when he saw RP's boat floating down. "R-RiverPerson! Might I intrude upon you tonight, and ask for a ride?" he asked, walking to the river bank and watching as the mysterious person stood from the boat. "Tra la la~ Of course you may~ In a hurry?"

Grillby jumped unto the boat, setting down a groggy Sans who had woken up from his nap, at last. "I'm sorry to say that I am. We must reach Hotland as fast as we can. I truly am sorry for disturbing you at this late an hour," Grillby apologized, his hand scratching the back of his neck as a slight blush appeared on his protruding cheeks.

Sans yawned, but his sleep was rudely frightened away by the sudden movement of the boat that had transformed into a wooden dog.

The tall robed figure chuckled, turning to the flamesman, its twinkling eyes meeting his bright own and noticing the increased color around his cheeks. "It's no problem, Rest assured~ A handsome fire, must reach his course~" RP answered with its usual tune, although Grillby could have sworn its tone sounded… flirty.

Snickering, Sans stretched out his limbs as the ride came to an end, noticing they were in Hotland. Huh. "…say grillbz, why are we here?" he asked, getting out of the boat and waiting for Romeo.

"I cannot thank you enough, RP. Drinks on me today, maybe?" offered Grillby, feeling his chest swell up with embarrassment for a moment. The robed figure looked at him, then turned to Sans before looking up at the sky. "…Tra la la. Somewhere, it's Saturday. So be careful."

Grillby seemed at a total loss of words, his throat constricting, wondering what RP meant by that. Did he perhaps… misread their intention. Walking off of the boat, Grillby looked back and watched as RP's boat began to float ever so easily. For some reason, Grillby couldn't help but to feel a certain nervousness in RP's presence. Did they know something they didn't?

Whatever it was, the growing emptiness in the pit of his stomach told Grillby something bad might happen. He hoped it had nothing to do with Frisk. Walking towards the lab, Grillby's feelings grew, and Sans stopped in front of the door. "…grillbz, i didn't tell you everything. if we have to go down to the labs… promise me you won't ask questions?" asked Sans as he faced the door, his hand above the door handle and trembling slightly. From the side, Grillby could see his empty eye sockets—he meant business. "…of course. I know you're hiding things, Sans, but I trust you to tell me when the time is right. Until then, I will deal with your extra shenanigans as I have done before."

A small smile appeared Sans' expression, his hand gripping the handle as he swung the door open.

It was a bit dark, but the light coming from the 'set' where Frisk and Mettaton were was enough to illuminate their way. There was, however… something wrong. "…Sans… the floor seems to be…" Grillby spoke, noticing the way Sans stopped walking and held out his arm so that Grillby would too. "…this isn't right." Sans' grim voice responded, the floor glitching out.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **LOADING:**

 **PLAYTIME WITH**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The silhouette of Chara began to emerge from the darkness, her steps light as she stopped in their way. Her smile seemed devilish, but for what reason? "I just KNEW you'd show up!"

Sans' head snapped back towards the door, realizing that it too had begun to glitch, and that the world around them was turning darker and darker. Too dark.

He could feel Grillby getting closer to him out of fear for the unknown, and he could distantly hear Mettaton's voice, his voice getting farther and farther away. _"How many letters in the name Metta…"_ Looking around their surroundings, he could only see the darkest black he's ever seen. "…photon readings negative…" Sans murmured, his eye sockets going dark as he realized what was happening. Grillby tried not to cling to Sans, but even within their close proximity he found it hard to hear him—it was beginning to grow hard to see him.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **INITIATING:**

 **PLAYTIME WITH**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Opening their eyes, they found themselves sitting on a patch of echo flowers. "S-Sans!" Grillby gasped, staring at the young skelly who wore a white tee and shorts—no jacket. He looked rejuvenated, and bigger… next to him was a tiny papyrus? Looking beside him, he saw a young lady—a fire lady. She was a fair white and appeared to be asleep—why on earth did she look familiar and yet…?

Sans quickly crawled to her side, his eye sockets swelling up in tears that he held in, his hands trembling above her almost as though he were going to crush her in an embrace. "…s…steamy…" he choked, turning a figure that approached them both.

Chara.

"Welcome to Play Time with CHARA! I'm your hostess, the brave and beautiful, Chara. Today, we're going back in time! Let's remind this good for nothing skelly who his real BFF is! Drama! Competitions! But importantly… let's see the world through my eyes," Chara spoke, looking at a transparent camera that moved as she did. She smiled, her rosey cheeks rosier than the usual and her ruby eyes twinkling almost… innocently. Turning to the two, her wicked smile turned dormant and was replaced by a smile neither of them had seen before—not since their days as children.

Before Sans could ask her what was going on, a familiar voice cried in his sleep. Turning to the source, Sans' eye sockets grew wide as he saw a familiar goat turning in his sleep. "C-chara…" he cried out, opening his drowsy eyes and looking at them all. "…I had a horrible nightmare…" he said, rubbing his eyes, holding out his hands as Chara pulled him up with ease, their faces coming to close proximity. Her piercing red eyes stared into Asriel's blue, her nose dipping in and nuzzling his, a youthful giggle escaping her lips as her hands gripped his ears. "…really? Was it **asreal** as us?" she asked, her hands letting go of his ears and wrapping around his neck.

Sans took a step back, bewildered by her sudden change of behavior whereas Grillby didn't seem so surprised. "…this is the Chara I remember. How in blazes did she turn into a demon?" Grillby asked, turning to Sans who still seemed to be in shock. He looked over Grillby and how small he looked, talking like a man inside a boy's body. How did Chara do this…? Was Steamy… ?

The young goat looked perplexed, letting go of Chara's embrace as he looked down at the ground. "It was horrible! It felt so real! W-we… I… I was a…" began to say Asriel, but Chara's finger silenced him. "Shh. You have such a wild imagination, Asriel. Did I die and leave you behind?" she asked, her tone somewhat mocking, but her smile disappeared when tears appeared on the goat's eyes.

Perhaps…

Perhaps this _wasn't_ a good idea.

Tears fell from his temperate blue, his arms gripping around her delicate body, his face nuzzling her fair hair, whimpers and sobs shaking what was left of her fragile heart. **"…n-no, just enjoy it, Chara. Just enjoy your victory lap, this is just… this is just my stupid memories, before I wipe them off. I don't need them. I don't need him. They all betrayed me, the only person I could trust is Tara… and she said to trust no one. I just… gotta enjoy this…"** Chara thought to herself, her hands gripping the furs on Asriel before they both let go. Somehow… seeing Asriel in this form… It really did shake her resolve. But she mustn't forget… he was her judas, the worst kind of traitor. Even so… perhaps it was a good thing this was happening. She could get it out of her system, this… need for affection. Here, in this world where she was smothered in it… recording it all, it would be enough for her once she wipes everyone off the face of this world.

"So… this is where you children come and hide all day?"

Everyone's head snapped towards the ghoul who stood tall, his hand tucking in his white scarf into place. "…you…" whispered both Chara and Sans at the exact same time, their eyes widening and staring at him who seemed a bit perplexed.

Grillby was confused as to whom this person could be, beside him the fire lady began to awake. "…Flynn? Er… Grillby?" she whispered, a blush appearing as she chuckled, her eyes deceiving her for a moment—she thought that small boy had appeared tall and like a man. Grillby had a long way to go until then, huh? Her head turned to Dr. Gaster, and she smiled, standing up and walking towards him. "Professor, I'm quite sorry! I stayed up all night studying, and we all ended up taking a nap," she charismatically explained, her white flaming hair swaying as a slight breeze overcame everyone and cooled down their temper.

The ghoul smiled kindly, his non-hollow hand patting the top of her head quickly yet still keeping its fatherly pattern. "That's quite alright young lady, my fair Arial was just worried about our little munchkin," he chortled, walking towards the small sleeping baby bones. He paused and turned to Sans with a worried expression, his eyes looking at the boy who seemed to be breathing quickly and holding back his anger, tears brimming on his eye sockets. "Hey sport, are you alright? You don't look too good, is something the matter?" he asked with genuine concern, his voice nothing like what Sans had remembered. That horrible, electronic voice… it was nowhere to be found. Instead, this cool, collected voice spoke and it brought an overwhelming amount of mixed feelings.

Chara looked at the two, her hatred for Gaster growing but… Sans' confusion somehow made her feel… almost sad. That foolish skeleton loved his father… loved his mother… it was something Chara perhaps could never comprehend. To know his father turned into a monster… Chara could never understand that feeling, she was sure. She never had the luxury of knowing. Her lips parted, her voice speaking words she had not thought through. "Sansy, everything you remember is a dream. Your father won't hurt _you_ here."

The ghoul turned to the girl, his eyes turning to steel and growing cold as he looked at the human, but his seriousness was soon replaced by astonishment when the young skelly embraced him, burying his face into his coat. "…dadster?"

Steamy cooed, walking over to Grillby and picking him up, her hand grabbing his cheek and pinching it. "My little brother… why do you look so surprised? What did I miss?" she asked with a wide smile, looking at the children who seemed to be acting differently all of a sudden.

Grillby was taken aback, his head turning to Chara who looked at him and shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms. All their attention soon turned to Gaster who had picked up Sans with one arm and used his other arm to pick up a groggy Papyrus. In his arms, the young skelly sniffled, looking at Gaster and helping him pick up baby Papyrus. Damn. **"…so… this is what it feels like to have a dad again…"** Sans thought to himself, glancing at Chara who for once didn't look crazy. She looked… normal **. "i don't understand… why are we back?"** he asked himself, his body moving as Gaster began to walk, looking back over his shoulder and watching as Chara followed them behind, her hand intertwined with Asriel's. Had Sans truly never noticed this side of her, or was she suddenly acting as such?

"HERE'S MY LITTLE BUNDLE! NYAH HAH HAH! AW, SWEETHEART, YOU MUST BE TIRED. WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU CARRYING SANS?" Asked Arial, standing up from her seat and walking to her spouse, her arms taking a hold of Papyrus who had fallen asleep again. The young skeleton's white eyes stared at his mother, his chest rising and swelling up with happiness. "…momster…" he whispered, his head moving back and forth between his parents.

On the other side, Chara's grip on Asriel's hand tightened as the two goat parents came upon them. "There you kids are! We were getting worried. I was just about to go search for you kids," said Toriel, grabbing Chara and holding her in a hug while Asriel reached for Asgore. The scent of pies and the soft fur on Chara's skin created goosebumps. "…mother," Chara whispered, feeling the warmth of her body against hers.

Steamy blushed, putting down Grillby as she scratched her head. "I'm so very sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Dreemurr, Mr. and Mrs. Skeleton. I fell asleep," She apologized, bowing her head.

Arial laughed, shaking her head. "IT'S QUITE ALRIGHT, STEAMY. YOU'RE SUCH A HARD WORKER, REALLY, YOU SHOULD RELAX MORE OFTEN. YOU'LL TURN OUT TO BE A WORKAHOLIC LIKE GASTER IF YOU KEEP IT UP," she laughed, her arms rocking Papyrus as she walked towards bench. Asgore picked up Asriel, nodding in agreement with Arial. "I second that, young lady. You know, how about a sleep over tonight? Please stay the night and get a good night's rest here, at the castle."

Gaster put Sans down, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I have very important experiments-," he began to say, but Chara quickly cut him off. "Please let Sans stay!" she demanded, Toriel's hand on her shoulder feeling somewhat heavy.

Sans seemed confused, but went along with it. "let's stay the night, please dadster?" he pleaded, noticing that Gaster's fatherly smile returning as his hand petted the base of Sans' skull. "…Very well. I suppose I could work on a few rooms around the castle,"

Chara waited patiently in her room with the door opened, watching as Sans and Grillby came inside and closed the door. "What's going on? Steamy's my sister?" asked Grillby, noticing that Sans looked somber all of a sudden.

Chara got up from her bed, walking to the door and making sure it was locked before she turned to Sans. "Go ahead and tell him, Sansy~"

There was a moment of silence where Sans seemed to be thinking quite frantically, before he collected himself and looked into Grillby's eyes. "…steamy's my girl, grillbz. we were going steady when it happened." He began, noticing that Chara had a spark of anger when he said that. "when dad fell down into the CORE, there was a big white flash, and… and everyone inside and around the light simply… stopped existing. the reason you can't remember steamy is because she doesn't exist anymore, just like my father. no one remembers anyone inside the flash, and their lives went on, believing they had never existed. the only people that remember them, is… asgore and i. she took care of you, looked after us, taught us, all while she went to school. a few years from now, she'll settle down in snowdin, and there she'll build a bar named after you. she'll work there, nonstop, only taking breaks when she's looking after papyrus… she's the one who got me to stop hatin' tomatoes and invented the special cocktail combo—err special ketchup combo. without her…"

Chara could feel her anger rising up, boiling in her blood. "Steamy, Steamy, Steamy! Get over her, she's dead, just like Arial, just like Gaster, just like Asriel and just like me!" Chara shouted, her child figure looking as though she were throwing a tantrum. Grillby on the other hand appeared to be in complete shock.

"…what?" Sans asked firmly, his hands gripping Chara as he pushed her unto the door, the whites in his eyes appearing to be infuriated before disappearing. Grillby would have normally defused the situation, but at the moment, he was still reeling over the fact he had a sister, and a life he could not remember.

Chara narrowed her eyes, her arms trying hard to push Sans away, but she realized—her strength was gone. Huh. Perhaps the file she created was _too_ good at recreating the past. She was a child again, and Sans… Sans was one hella' mad monster kid.

The skeleton's grip on her wrists tightened, his head getting closer to hers until there were only an inch away from each other. "…what happened, Chara?" he breathed, his breath hot against her lips.

It was… enthralling.

A smile swept across her face, her neck leaning forward as her lips brushed across his teeth, her heart beating fast and watching as he fell backward, shuddering and looking quite frightened. That was _one_ way of getting him off of her. "You'll see, Sansy~ I want to answer a few questions you might have, but to do so, you'll have to see. Maybe… Maybe once you know what's happening… you'll decide to rule by my side as a god too," she winked, turning and unlocking the door, opening it to find Asriel there. He stood tall and seemed to be blushing, looking down on the floor. "H-hi Chara… do you want to play ball?" he asked, his right arm holding unto a bright red ball. In the room, Sans seemed to have composed himself, giving Asriel a thumbs up. "let's play, red ball of _dooooooom_ ," he suggested, the whites in his eye sockets staring at Chara with disgust. Grillby cleared his throat before speaking, his young prepubescent voice throwing him off for a moment. "I-I'm in too,"

Chara smiled, her arm swinging around Asriel's neck. "Good! Asriel and I are a team. Meet'ya outside, Sansy~" she cooed, beginning to walk with the blushing goat, leaving behind the two friends.

Grillby let out a heavy sigh, looking at Sans with a frustrated expression. "I sound like a little kid… where'd my smooth voice go?" he complained, his hand grabbing his throat but noticing a blue blush emerge on Sans' cheeks as his chest heaved in anger. "…nope, she's still a witch." He murmured, turning to Grillby who half grinned. "…wait, did she kiss you? I didn't really see," Grillby gasped, but his amused expression disappeared once Sans' frown grew and his eye sockets appeared mad. "Ew, ew, horrible, most terrible experience I'm sure. Sucked the life out of you like a succubus, most chilling-," Grillby added, immediately stopping when Sans had begun to walk out of the room. **"Memo to myself, Sans is** _ **no**_ **romantic, at least, not with hell bent demons. Though… Would Chara be so bad if he threw her a bone? Better not think of it, least he read my mind and blast me with his beams o'death."** He thought to himself, following loosely behind Sans. From what he had seen, it appeared as though Chara wanted Sans to notice her—she seemed like an okay person whenever she wasn't trying to kill people. …Why _was_ she trying to kill people?

Passing through the halls, Sans had stopped and stared at the family piano in all its glory. Sitting in front of the piano and playing its ivories was Steamy, smiling as she hummed to herself, moving her head to the rhythm of the tune. On the sofa, Arial smiled and nodded, holding unto Papyrus as she usually had done so during his early years. "VERY GOOD, STEAMY. YOU MIGHT PLAY IT BETTER THAN ME!"

Sans looked down, smiling to himself as his hands stretched out with its palms facing him. "…you always said that, but no one played better than you." he whispered, reluctantly making his way outside. Grillby had paused, and stared at the girl whom he had found out was his sister. Certainly, he could see the family resemblance—although the same could be said about Fuku Fire who was his first cousin once removed. Then again… it was Sans who had told him Fuku was his cousin—did he lie? Oh my god, what else could he be hiding? The dreadful feeling of the unknown caused his stomach to curl up into knots, but he had to keep calm. This was why Sans didn't want to tell him anything. He had to prove to Sans that he could handle the truth, whatever it may be.

Chara bounced the red ball on her head while Asriel watched her, mesmerized as he usually was. She stopped once she heard Steamy's voice accompanied by the piano, coming from the second floor of the castle. "...pftt, I can sing better," Chara mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes and passing the ball to Asriel who fumbled with it. Not far from them was Toriel, Asgore and Gaster, all who enjoyed golden flower tea and pie—except for Asgore who was still weary of food after his food poisoning. Gaster, even from far away, shot her cold glances and her blood would freeze underneath his eyes. "…bastard…" she whispered, tightening her hands into fists. Asriel who had been holding onto the ball could sense Chara's anger. "Chara, let's make chocolate cookies tonight," he offered, knowing that chocolate was her weakness. Chara turned, but her eyes didn't shine like they would. "I'd like that… but tonight I'm going to be busy. I have… a class with Dr. Gaster." She replied.

Sans breathed in and walked towards the two talking siblings, mustering as much bravado as he could. "let's ball." He said in a serious tone, but his serious face softened when Asriel smiled at him. Grillby held out his hand and caught the ball when Asriel tossed it to him. "…red ball of doom, huh?" he whispered to himself, his squeaky voice causing him to chuckle. Normally, when lighting things on fire, his hands would easily do it, but now, he found it hard to keep the ball on fire. So, not only did he lose his smooth voice, but also control over his powers? What kind of witchcraft was this…

Finally, being able to keep the ball lit, he looked up and noticed Chara was taking off her shoes. "…you're gonna play with your bare feet? Are you mad?" he asked, noticing that Asriel seemed confused by way of speaking. Chara threw her shoes aside, crossing her arms. "My people play this game barefoot—my feet have been through worse." Her eyes shifted to Sans who had noticed that her feet were also full of scars and a few burn marks. His head turned to the castle wall, in direction of the piano melody and Chara grew infuriated by it.

The flaming ball flew in the air in between kicks, goal after goal being made by Chara and Sans. Asriel seemed to be having a hard time keeping up with the ball, running around half confused and embarrassed, passing the ball to Chara who was confident in making goals. Grillby breathed fast, his heart beating quite quickly—he sure was out of shape. Sans as usual wasn't breaking a sweat, his legs fast in blocking several goals and making shots that Chara couldn't block with her her hands or feet.

Asriel's eyes widened when the ball came his way, his feet stopping it and kicking it up with the sides of his feet, his cheeks growing red and his furs feeling the heat of the ball. "H-hot, hot, hot!" He yelped, kicking it up and watching as Chara swooped in, her legs gracefully kicking up the ball with her bare feet. Not a single peep. Her face was blank! Kicking the ball up high, she jumped and swung her leg, shooting the flaming fall across the field. Sans quickly ran in between the two sticks that served as goal posts, his grin growing bigger as his arm fell back and swung towards the ball that hurdled towards him with as much force he could. Grillby whistled, watching as the fast fall quickly turned in reverse and was heading towards Chara. There was no way Chara could stop it, and yet there she stood, her hands ready to catch the flaming mass.

The young goat panicked, jumping to the side and holding out his hands as he grasped the ball and fell backward, the ball bouncing off and its flames disappearing. "Asriel?!" Chara's voice cried in a surprised voice, her face coming into view and her beautiful ruby eyes staring into his. "Y-you silly goat! You could've gotten hurt," she snapped, her hands taking his and staring at the small scorch marks on his fur. A goofy smile was sketched on Asriel, and he could feel his cheeks light up. "But Chara, that ball was going to hurt you… I'm stronger, remember?" he answered sheepishly, noticing a small smile appearing on her beautiful face. Soon enough, Sans' head came into view too, and his white cheeks were a deep blue. "i am **so** sorry, asriel, i didn't mean," he began to apologize but stopped when Asriel began to laugh. "It's okay, Sans! Really! I just… wanted to protect Chara. I'd do anything to keep her safe,"

The small flaming child looked over towards Chara, noticing that her smile had disappeared, and her expression turned into genuine astonishment. Her cheeks had grown a deep red, and the rims of her eyes had begun to water. She looked like she had some sort of epiphany, and her head had suddenly turned to the castle walls. Steamy was singing.

" _If I could begin to be,_

 _Half of what you think of me,_

 _I could do about anything,_

 _I could even learn how to love."_

Asriel sat up, smiling sheepishly as he looked at her gorgeous face and noticing the small scars scattered about her, his eyes trailing down her arms and looking at her hands which were full of those horrible marks. Sans noticed that Chara's head had slumped down, her bangs hiding her eyes but he could see the glimmer of a tear falling down her cheek, her hands turning to fists. "…why are you so nice, Asriel?" she asked in a low voice. The small goat laughed, his hand scratching the back of his head as he closed his eyes. "It's the right thing to do. I'm sure you'd do the same for me," he answered truthfully, opening his eyes and looking at Sans who looked quite serious. Geeze, everyone was acting weird all of a sudden! Before he could ask what was going on, he was caught off guard when Sans embraced him. Chara's voice once again spoke up, "No, why are you so nice with everyone? If you met the humans in my village, would you fight back?"

Grillby turned back, looking at the grownups who continued to enjoy their chatter. Chara seemed to be getting quite specific with those questions. Asriel seemed confused, but answered with a smile nonetheless. "Well, when we go through the barrier, I'm sure that if we ask nicely they'll help us,"

Chara scoffed, looking away as her hand wiped the tears that had fallen, her gaze focused on the room from where Steamy played.

" _I always thought, I might be bad,_

 _Now I'm sure that it's true,_

 _'cause I think you're so good,_

 _And I'm nothing like you."_

Sans let go of Asriel and helped him up, his gaze turning to see Chara who had also gotten up. "You wanted to know the truth, comedian? Meet me at the secret labs tonight. I'm done with these memories."

Startled, Asriel's hand grabbed her shoulder, but she only shrugged it off and walked towards the castle barefoot. Grillby breathed out and walked to Asriel's other side and trying to comfort the child who seemed to have gotten upset. "W-what did I say?" he asked, his innocent blue eyes looking at Grillby and Sans with confusion. With Asriel being as tall as Chara and Sans, it was hard to realize that he was younger than they were err… at the time.

 _Man_ , everything felt so real. It honestly felt like Asriel was really there. Sans laughed, trying to shrug off what had just occurred. "hey, don't sweat it kiddo. wanna go uh.. plant stuff? bake things?" asked Sans, putting his arm around Asriel. These weren't memories, not anymore at least. This day had never happened. Originally, they had left the castle… and… that was the last time he had seen Asriel. Their father had sent him with Steamy every day to study for months, and then… his parent's never mentioned the Dreemurrs.

Asriel sniffled, smiling as he nodded. "…can you guys keep a secret?" he asked in a low voice, his blue eyes looking towards the direction Chara had gone. Grillby looked at Sans who seemed in a deep thought, so he answered. "Of course dear furry buddy, what's the secret? Are we to hide it from Miss Scary Smile?"

A soft laugh enveloped the three friends, and Asriel's sweet personality smoothed them over the rough scene that had just occurred. "Chara told me it was our secret… but I've been having second thoughts. The nightmare I had today… it was really scary and felt so real," Asriel explained, walking towards the planted flower patch. He stopped in front a small patch of golden flowers that had been planted aside. Breathing in, the small goat sat down on the earth and stared at them, wondering to himself if he should tell them. "…Chara… has a plan to get past the barrier."

Sans perked up. This was the first time he heard any of this. They had a plan? …was this the reason…?

Grillby smiled, sitting down beside Asriel and cooling down his arm so that he could hold unto Asriel's hand. "You can trust us, Asriel. I'm all ears, as I'm sure, Sans is too," his voice comforted the goat, his smile growing bigger when Asriel nodded with a bit more confidence. "…okay, hee hee hee… well… Chara was going to use her SOUL so that we can both cross over. We were going to go to her village and get six more SOULs, s-so that we can break the barrier! Then we can leave the underground, and we can all be happy,"

Sans, who had been standing the whole time, fell beside Asriel and sat up using his arms as support, his widened eye sockets staring at the goat. Had he… crossed the barrier? He didn't want to believe; he never had wanted to believe that theory. People had talked in hushed whispers, speaking of the prince who had been killed by humans. When he found out… he just couldn't believe it. He _wouldn't_ believe it. He shoved that knowledge in the back of his head and forgot all about it…

Asriel sighed, looking at the buttercups. "She's going to… she's going to sacrifice her SOUL so that we can be happy forever. We'll be together forever, I won't outlive her anymore and..." Asriel added, but his voice deceived him. As much as he tried to seem enthusiastic about the idea, the nightmare he had earlier today haunted him. He turned to Grillby. "She's… not trying to use me, right?" he asked innocently.

Sans forced a smile, his hand patting his back. "no way, but, uh… why not just live here, in the underground? the surface is over rated," Sans suggested, analyzing Asriel now. The young goat sighed, looking at the flowers. "The other day, Mr. Gerson told us some stories. We learned that we monsters live a whole lot longer than humans, and Chara didn't seem to happy… well truthfully, I wasn't either. I don't wanna lose her later on, and she… she really misses her old home. She said she misses her sister. She told me, that she wants to help us because she loves us. She wants to free us from the underground, so we're going to her village and we're getting six more SOULs."

Grillby couldn't wrap his head around what Asriel seemed to be saying. Chara the demon that he knew, wanted to kill everything in her path—she didn't seem like the sort who loved the underground. Perhaps something happened…? Grillby's head turned to Sans as he began to speak. "thanks for trusting us with your secret, asriel. we won't tell anyone. so… uh… wanna make bake stuff, kiddo?"

Asriel wiggled his snout as San's boney finger poked it, sneezing right after. "Wahh! Don't boop-da-snoot!" he cried, laughing right after and hiding his snout beneath his hands.

The trio had gone up to Asriel's room after baking cookies—no Chara to be found. After a good hour of playing in his room and eating cookies with milk, Asriel knocked out. It was hard on their juvenile bodies, but Sans and Grillby had resisted the urge to sleep after cookies and milk. It getting late, and Sans knew that Chara was probably at the labs by now. He was sure that their parents would panic and search for them, but… this was just… memories, or something like it, right? As much as Sans wanted to spend time with Steamy and his mother, he knew he had to deal with Chara. This was another anomaly, whatever this world was. Still… it really felt like he was young again, his body functioned as such, and even his mind was half acting like a child. It was hard to fight back the childish urges sometimes. It was no wonder he felt like he was going to get into trouble if he sneaked off. Grillby seemed to be on the same page, but between the two, they managed to fight their fears and sneak out of the castle.

As they walked the nearly empty streets, it was hard to believe this was once called the CORE… well, before the supposed incident. Clearing his throat, Grillby inquired. "Sans… in the present, this part of the CORE is the new CORE. It's all high-tech metal and stuff… did you do all of it?"

The skeleton came to an abrupt halt, his eyes looking at the edges of the earth. "…yeah. when you're not being experimented on, you find that you have a lot of time left over. you don't remember much, but asgore and i sealed off the affected areas. the worst hit places were of utmost importance since they cooled down the CORE. without them, the volcano would become unstable and another catastrophe would occur, but thankfully, we came up with another idea. it took several years, but i managed to rebuild the CORE as the metal place you remember. the other places that weren't affected as much, well… they became a part of hotland. the incident is the reason we have a hotland, i was just too lazy to rebuild everything. jeeze, to this day i still haven't properly fixed the cooling system, that's why we have ice wolf throwing chunks of ice."

Impressed, Grillby whistled, looking at the streets that looked nothing like their underground now. That incident must've made quite the impact. "Say Sans… there's something on my mind. Fuku Fire… she _is_ my first cousin once removed, right? She looks a lot like Steamy," asked Grillby, noticing that Sans' smile had disappeared. "…no. she's actually your kid, but uh… well, since the incident, the underground was kinda broken. she was stranded on the other side, remember? i didn't have the heart to tell her you were her father, just like i didn't have the heart to you tell ya yer wife and steamy disappeared in the explosion."

Sans looked over, watching as the flames on top of Grillby's head had exploded upwards, yet he tried to remain calm. "…my wife?" he asked. "yeh. don't worry, she wasn't too special, well, not when it happened. you two were fighting at the time, and she had taken fuku away. thankfully, fuku was being watched by someone near the castle, so she was alright. bora was really **sour** about you helping steamy with the bar. she was an acid monster, not really sure what you saw in her, but uh, whatever it was, it was long gone at the time of the incident."

The rest of the walk was done so in silence, and Sans felt somewhat bad about it. This wasn't how he wanted Grillby to find out about things, it really wasn't, but what could he do? It was Chara's fault. As they passed the big monitor, Chara's waved at them from in front of the elevator. "About time, slowpokes. Tell me, Sans, how much do you know about your lineage?" she asked, noticing that the flamesboy seemed to be in quite a deep thought.

The skeleton shrugged. "…my dad took my mom's name and tried to hide where he came from because they were all monsters. grandpop courier was a mad scientist along with the rest of the dafont family, race, or whatever they were. what does that have to do with us?" he asked firmly, watching as she pressed the button on the elevator. She smiled, her wickedness returning. "Your father and grandfather were synthetic ghouls created by the granddaddy of scientists. Like father, like son… Gaster continued what Courier left behind."

Sans' eyes widened as she pushed the button for the secret lab, the button turning into a bright star that engulfed them.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Present time: Late Night Game Show

*********°*********•*********°*********

"…does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?"

Frisk could see how nervous she was, and a part of her knew that for some strange reason, that she liked Undyne. It was a strange little voice in the back of her mind that sounded familiar—it would help her out whenever Chara wouldn't. Still… was it a good idea to tell the world who her crush was? Breathing in, Frisk braced herself. She remembered the pain from previous attempts, but she had to do it. Her hand hovered above the 'C' button, and she pushed it, her eyes watching as Mettaton stared at her in silence. "… SERIOUSLY?" it said, moving around in its place as though it were throwing a fit. "MY MY… HOW CONCEITED CAN YOU GET…?"

Frisk looked at Dr. Alphys who didn't look nervous anymore, and sighed in relief, although she knew that was to come. Bracing herself, she shut her eyes closed.

Mettaton looked at the child, chuckling to itself before continuing its speech. "I LOVE IT! AND WHILE YOU'RE COMPLETELY WRONG, YOU DESERVE SOME CREDIT. I'VE SEEN HER WATCH YOU ON HER COMPUTER SCREEN, SMILING WHEN YOU SUCCEED. SHRIEKING WHEN YOU FAIL. AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS WHISPERING… 'NO! WRONG! YOU HAVE TO GO THAT WAY!'. IN ITS OWN WAY, IS THIS NOT LOVE?"

The human child opened her eyes, smiling from ear to ear as she giggled as an innocent youth would do. It… softened Mettaton's cold robotic heart. This was the reason why he loved humans, how could he continue this charade of being a human hater? To think that there were more humans like this one on the surface… It was a wonderful thought. Continuing onwards with his show, Mettaton continued, "WELL, WELL, WELL. WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU… THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS! BUT… BUT! THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS…!"

From the darkness, Sans and Grillby watched as robot flew itself out of the lab with rockets. They were back. The skeleton turned to the flamesman who seemed to be collecting himself from whatever experience they had gone through. Whatever it was… it seemed to have happened in the span of minutes, not even an hour it seemed. Chara was nowhere to be found. The star and bright light… did it work the same way that it worked in reality? A SAVE. Did it mean… that Chara had a SAVE of her own…? And if that was the case, did it mean that they would get pulled into that world later on…?

A small fire was blown from Grillby's lips, and he turned to Sans. "I think we better leave, but uh… we need to keep Frisk safe from Mettaton. I'll keep the channel running in my bar, just keep your cell phone close, alright? I uh… got a lot of think about, so let's head on out."

The short skeleton looked up, chuckling as he realized he missed looking down. Ah… damn experiments. "yeah, let's **jet**." And one teleportation later, they were back in Snowdin, and had gone their separate ways.

Opening the door to his bar, Grillby was astounded by all the patrons who had sat down and waited patiently for his return. He looked at the time, and realized it was now 5:03 AM. Normally, his bar wouldn't be this full at this time, but it seemed that the patrons who had been here earlier had called up friends and were now socializing and waiting patiently for his return. What was the meaning of this…?

Doggo inhaled slowly, watching as Grillby's gently footsteps silently took him across the bar. Several orders were written down and were paid in full along with hefty tips, all of them written down with the same handwriting. The flamesman heard footsteps coming his way, and he looked up, watching as Doggo exhaled circles of smoke like the badass he was, leaning on the counter. "I took the liberty of helpin' ya and telling people to take the morning off and celebrate it here. It's not much, but uh, thanks. You're always here, listening to us all complain about our lives, or helpin' us with problems, we just never realized that you too have things to worry about on your own. I'll uh… help ya serve this morning, 'kay boss?"

Boy, today was sure full of new things, huh.

Clearing his throat, Grillby smiled. Raising his voice, he shouted, "Thank you everyone for your patronage! Food and refreshments will be coming right out… along with a sample of a new menu item, 'Cocktail Combo'." The patrons erupted in cheers, and the bar seemed livelier than ever. To his left, the old broken jukebox stared back, and he finally remembered the reason why it was broken. Sans had tired it from overuse shortly after he began rebuilding the CORE. Walking to the back of the bar, Grillby got one last glimpse of the old jukebox, smiling to himself. "More the reason to fix ya, huh?"

As the bartender went to the back, Toriel got up from her seat. It was so early in the morning, but she couldn't sleep correctly. She had fallen asleep inside the bar, but after the sudden commotion, she knew she had to keep searching for her child. She exited the bar, shivering in the cold as she began to make her way towards the river bank, but stopped once RP came into view. "Ah… I guess I'll have to go the long way," Toriel told herself, but she found herself unable to move. "Tra la la~ Come with me~ Let's share a drink, and talk with ease~" it said, holding out its robed arm. Surprised, Toriel laughed and put her arm around their arm. It felt like a familiar solid arm. Like a skeleton's arm.

The two robed figures entered the bar and sat in the empty booth Toriel had been sitting in. "Tra la la. You seem confused. Might I answer the questions you hold?" asked RP, turning to Doggo who walked by, holding a pad and a pen. "Welcome to Grillby's, can I get ya order?" he asked, looking at the two mysterious figures. Huh. Did RP have a relative or something?

Toriel lifted her head slightly, looking at the server (she didn't know one worked here) before looking back down at the menu items on the card inside the booth. "Tra la la. Jasmine Tea. Burger, Fries, and crumpets." RP requested, tilting their head to the side. Pure darkness inside of its hood as usual. Creepy. Doggo didn't even know Grillby served half of what they requested, but whatever, right? He turned to the other robed figure, looking at them and noticing what looked like white fur. …A tall dog, perhaps? Sniffing the air, Doggo knew it wasn't a dog at all. Not a rabbit either. What a strange smell… it wasn't human either. "Um…" Toriel mumbled, trying to make up her mind. "Crumpets and golden flower tea, please," she finally decided, looking RP with confusion in that it was definitely not on the menu. In fact, crumpets and Jasmine Tea was what Arial would always get whenever she visited her at the castle. It was so strange, but it felt good to know people still enjoyed crumpets.

When Doggo left the booth, silence enveloped them, and it was the agonizing kind. Was RP staring at her…? Finally, Toriel spoke up. "…w-what kind of monster are you?" she asked, noticing that RP had tilted their head to the other side. "…I'm a space spectre. I'm nothing, and everything, la la."

Toriel was startled by the change of its tone, going from merry to grim. It sounded sinister and deeper, and its lighted eyes had appeared once more. It shifted its body and swung its lower body up, resting its back on the wall as it looked to the rest of the bar. "Tra la la. Are you surprised? Are you scared? Think they're lies?" it asked, its head falling down so that its hood completely covered its face.

Intrigued, Toriel leaned on the table, resting her head on her hands that rested on the flat space. "…no, but… how are you everything and nothing? What's a space ghost?" she asked, looking around and realizing that everyone around them seemed to be ignoring them. Wouldn't they be interested in knowing about RP?

The mysterious figure shrugged. "It's an upgrade from being a magician. I can like, disappear and do all these crazy things. One of the perks is being able to watch over the people I love." Its voice was light once more, and its tone merry.

Toriel stared at the mysterious figure, noticing that the cold sensation coming from RiverPerson began to get warm, and the robes began to fill up. Hands began to emerge from the covered arms, peachy and humanly. Toriel peered into the hood, her furry paws quickly grabbing the hands as her breath hitched. "…Arial?" she whispered, staring at a youthful blond human with gorgeous blue eyes. Her curls bounced and her smile brightened the room, much like she remembered human Arial. "…The Amazing Arial in the **flesh** ," she chuckled, her voice sounding much like her. She quickly dipped her hood back down, laughing. "They can't see me or hear me like this, but I still get paranoid. Sorry. I'm not used to this… I just… wish this was under better circumstances. I'm sure you found out by now, but, I'm dead. I died a long time ago in an accident. My Gaster… he lost it afterwards. He couldn't blame me, so he blamed humanity, when really, it was my fault. I can never concentrate with him in the room, huh?"

Toriel gripped her hands, shaking her head. "No, it wasn't your fault either. It was an accident, right?" she asked, turning to the side when Doggo stopped with a tray in hand. "Here's the tea and cakes. Grillby says he'll finish the burger and fries in ten," He narrowed his eyes and stared at the two mysterious figures—RiverPerson smelled shadier today than the usual. Its smell… it changed all of a sudden. It smelled… humany, but then again, this was RP. Doggo laughed to himself, walking away to the next table as he let out a cloud of doggy treat smoke.

The two mysterious figures drank their tea respectively in silence—or at least that's what the bar thought it to be. Instead, the two continued to chatter. "Yeah, it was." Arial admitted sheepishly, but her giddy personality was soon subdued. "…he did horrible things to our children, Tory. I guess… that's why I'm stuck here. That, and I'm a bit of a loop hole, you know, being half human and half magical magician," she winked, her smile dry of genuine feelings. Small jasmine tea orbs began to levitate from the cup, floating up towards the hood and disappearing underneath, and a long sigh soon followed. Toriel silently watched, knowing that Arial would continue to explain herself.

"When we surrendered to the humans so long ago, Gerson told me that the entire eastern front had been annihilated, and that Gaster was the only scientist that made it out. The truth is, Gaster lied to us all, Tory. The humans didn't breech our walls, he… he sabotaged the eastern labs." Disappointment dripped through every word, and Toriel froze, realizing that that meant. Gaster had been the reason why more than half the monster population turned to dust. Before she was able to speak, Ariel continued to talk. "I don't know what prompted Grandpa Semi and Gaster to turn on their own people, but in the end, something went wrong and Gaster opened the gates. All I know, is that Gaster's dad did a lot of bad things, and Gaster had begun to follow in his footsteps soon after. When I died… he just lost it, and… and he became a monster who experimented with unnatural things. Things that shouldn't be known, Tory. In trying to find a way to create a future without humans, he created a monster whose power can destroy both humanity and monstrosity. I don't quite understand much, but all I know, is that when you find your human child, please take good care of her and protect her from her demons." Ariel urged, her boney hands reaching for Toriels and squeezing them as hard as she could, her blue eyes looking into Toriel's red. Mother to mother, Toriel could sense the dread and disappointment within her. Breathing in, Toriel began to ease up so that she could start asking the questions. "Arial, how are you able to walk among us? Earlier, you said you were a space spectre, I don't quite understand."

The golden curls moved as Arial shifted her head to the side. "I'm in a loop hole, along with Grandpa Semi. Turns out that when you die a halfy, your SOUL doesn't just disappear. When you're a monster, it shatters but your human SOUL fragments disappear into the earth. Because it's not whole, we don't ascend into the human plane, instead we just… get absorbed by the earth, by the mountain. Mother Mountain absorbs our magic, and in return, we are given a sort of immortality through this vessel. You know the mythical stories our mothers would read to us? I guess you can say, I'm a sort of reaper now. A ghost that collects and delivers SOULs of the departed on behalf of the Mountain Mother. A neat thing about this new job is all the new sights—I didn't even think there were alternate worlds," smiled Arial, although her blue eyes seemed dull. The bar smelled delicious—burgers, fries, the smell of the teas. The soft snowy fur in her hands, the temperature in the room, everything felt so real. She breathed in the fresh air before continuing to explain. "I can't stay here long. RiverPerson is… like a pot of stew. I'm not the only being that inhibits this body. This is the first time I manifest like this to tell you the truth," Arial chuckled, her blue eyes brightening if only for a moment. "The Consensus that is Mother Mountain has given me the chance to tell you that they predict several different futures ahead of us. A few of those futures are bad. **Very bad**. Several futures are going to open if Frisk continues to deepen her relationships as she has done so in the past. If that does happen, there will come a time when you must make a decision that I know you **will** make. And when you do it, don't be afraid. Your decision will save both humanity and monstrosity."

Toriel felt amazed yet eerily disturbed by the grim warning her friend gave her. Their hands let go and there was a brief moment of nostalgia. Two longtime friends, sitting down drinking tea and eating crumpets. "You know," began Arial, putting down her bitten pastry. "I've missed this. I don't usually get a lot of time with the vessel. It's usually just my thoughts. I'm really thankful for this chance," she smiled, finishing the last of her pastry. The goat put down her pastry and cleared her throat. "I have another question, Arial. What happened to Gaster and your children? I think I met one of your great grandchildren in Snowdin,"

The clear blue eyes shifted to the side, her fragile smile breaking into a frown. Her hands retreated back into the robe and her shoulders slouched down, her head falling so that only her golden curls could be seen. "... I have to go now. But Grandpa Semi can fill you in." she whispered, her voice broken as several water droplets fell into the table. Before Toriel could react, the golden curls began to levitate upwards into the hood, and the tears that fell also turned into thin air. Was the subject about her family that unpleasant? Soon enough, a pair of hands began to emerge from the robe, but they were not human. Solid, and a pale plum tone color. The hoodie began to rise, and the faint memory of the man emerged from Toriel's subconscious. Oh.

"Salutations from the Nexus, dear girl! A mighty good day, fit for a once-in-a-lifetime visitation from dead folks, might I say." Chortled the merry ghoul, his pale skin clinging to the facial bones, much like the rest of his body. A ghoul. "Dr. Semi Castellar Serif, at your disposal my dear queen. Soft fur as expected, nothing less of exquisite!"

Toriel blushed, her eyes bloated as the ghoul picked up her hands and kissed them with the chivalry she remembered. "Grandpa Semi, yes, I remember you." Toriel managed to mumble, trying to hide her embarrassment. Of course she didn't remember him, was she a horrible person for not remembering her best friend's grandfather-in-law?

The ghoul let go, turning to the dog who stood at the foot of the table with a tray. "Oh jolly good taste! I haven't tasted one of these in years!" Exclaimed the ghoul, his nose twitching as his grin widened. His purple eyes stared at the burger, and Doggo appeared to be quite confused. He stared at RP, his head falling to the left side, his nose twitching as the scent of the mysterious person eluded him. Faintly human, yet… different. New. Never before smelt. The scent carried with it some similarity to the Sans and Papyrus, but it wasn't too similar. Man. The dog treats might be getting to him. Dropping the food, Doggo briskly walked off.

Toriel watched as the ghoul picked up the burger and chomped on it, moaning in ectasy as he closed his eyes to savor the moment. "Flynn sure does know how to make a mean burger! Ah, a shame about Misty, ain't it?" asked Semi, opening his plum eyes and noticing the confusion in Toriel's red orbs. "…Oops, it seems my big mouth may have said too much, I am terribly sorry. I was always bad about that, wasn't I? That certainly was a reason why my dear Calibri left me no doubt, not that uh… not that it was anything compared to what I did, huh? I created a monster willingly. Ah, but that monster created another little munchkin that gave me a reason to live. Unfortunately, sometimes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. On behalf of the entire DaFont populous, I **apologize** for what we have done in this world and for what may _or_ may not occur—can't really be specific with what, bylaws implanted by the legion of The Consensus, formally known as Mother Mountain. More tea?"

The eastern accent, in cooperation with how fast he spoke surely did give Toriel a slight headache. She smiled as the ghoul poured more tea into her cup, muttering a thanks before drinking nearly the entire cup. In the meantime, the ghoul proceeded to gorge himself with the fried food, wiping his mouth after wards much like his manners demanded of him. Sophisticated. Formal.

Why was Grandpa Semi so odd?

The ghoul's mouth twitched into a smile. "I was never quite like this, my girl. I was more… cold, before meeting my companion, Calibri. Quite the humanist, that rebellious font. She left when I refused to stop my scientific pursuit, and she disappeared off the grid soon after. She had quite… the **determination**. That's the reason why I'm here. I need you to stop my grandson, Aster. His name is WingDing Aster, a second generation SYMBOL DaFont. Unlike Serifs or Sans-Serifs, SYMBOLs were artificially created DaFonts whose purpose was related to bioweapons and advanced research. I became the best scientist in the field because I…"

The goat leaned forward, mesmerized by his story. She had always been mesmerized by his stories and lectures. Gaster. She had always had a feeling Gaster a bit… odd. She just never imagined he had singlehandedly killed millions upon millions of monsters by allowing the human forces to breach the walls. The doctor breathed in the smell of jasmine tea before setting down his cup. "I created a bioweapon with the small capability of unearthing the secrets of the universe. I named it, Courier New Symbol, Courier being a pet name. He was nothing more than a project, I had no real intent in creating a new life form. _Silly me_. My project became self aware, it was different other SYMBOLs in that it disobeyed my explicit commands. Around this time, my petty rival, Segoe, began to court Courier, filling him with unnecessary ideas of self-discovery and assimilation. Somewhere in Courier's life, he found out about Calibri and her different nature. She was secretly a halfy, as Arial would say. A rare halfy. Courier… hunted her down, quite literally, and uh… experimented on her. I didn't find out until Gaster told me, on that fateful day. To make this story short, Calibri's essence and DNA was collected, cloned, and processed. It was used on Project WD-A, or what I like to call, my grandson, Gaster. At the moment, the scientist-turned father-turned mad scientist is in a world where he is isolated for his crimes against the fabric of space and time. A tragic turn of events, but I **want** to keep it that way. _That_ , my girl, is where _you_ come in."

Toriel was so absorbed by his story, that when he abruptly ended his story by pulling her into his words, she was startled. The cheery ghoul seemed so grim for a moment that the furs on her back riled up. He continued. "In the marshes, there by the main corridor, somewhere after you pass a table with a crystalized cheese… you might find a door that appears and disappears. I need you to guard this area and prevent Frisk from entering it at all costs. If she enters this room and the FUN conditions are right, she will be in grave danger. You must guard this area indefinitely."

Toriel finished her tea and the rest of her crumpets, her red eyes slowly ascending and locking in with the purple that pierced right through her. She hesitated, but she asked nonetheless. "FUN? I don't understand, Grandpa Semi. Why?" she asked, but all to soon she received her response. "Functional Universe Number, it is what stabilizes our world. Usually, our world runs at stable numbers but lately, due to meddling which originated from Gaster's ungodly handiwork, it seems that the fabric of the universe folds and stretches, creating tears which temporarily disrupt the world you see, AKA, the door. The door leads to a room in which Gaster is able to appear and disappear—but be warned, he is a dangerous, vengeful soul. With the recent developments, I've concluded that it is possible for Gaster to enter your world and affect it if he is determined enough, and sadly, due to Calibri's nature, he is capable of it. I'm not sure if he knows this, but if he does, that door is the only thing keeping us safe. Frisk is not allowed in there, understood? He'll kill her."

Toriel flinched, her spine backing against the cushions and watching as the shoulders slumped down and his hands retreated back into the robe. The hoodie fell down and it was in that position for several minutes before it lifted once more, an empty darkness back as she originally remembered RP to look like.

"Tra la la~ Quite the Chat!~ I'm so full!~ Take care, alright?~"

Toriel realized the tone of RP changed with every verse. _Quite the Chat!_ Sounded like something Semi would say. _I'm so full!_ was definitely something Arial would say. The last verse sounded like normal RP. Huh. The more Toriel knew, the more scared she was for her daughter, Frisk. She watched as RP left the booth, coins falling from inside its robed arm, floating towards the door and disappearing outside. What should she do, though? She needed to find Frisk! But… what if Frisk comes across this door while she is searching for her? Arial did say that there were several futures, and that a few were bad. The worst that could happen is that Frisk is killed, worse yet, that Gaster absorbs her SOUL. Would he be able to? And if he were… would he be able to open the door and cross?

Terrible thoughts. Just horrible.

"I need to guard that door." She whispered, taking out a few coins and adding them to the hefty lump left behind by RP.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **The Great Detective Papyrus**

 **Scene 1: Mystery is NOT my middle name!**

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Don't you get tired of spaghetti?" asked Undyne with a yawn, firing up the stove in preparation of breakfast pancakes. The tall skeleton gasped in shock, his hat (which were of course, boxers) waved as he shook his head. "TIRED OF SPAGHETTI? SPAGHETTI IS ALL THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS EATS, IT IS MY BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER!" he exclaimed, moving to the fridge and taking out the leftover spaghetti sauce that he and Frisk had made the day before.

Undyne rolled her eyes, mixing the pancake batter with the bacon bits as best as she could _without_ breaking the bowl or the spoon. The last thing she needed was to anger Papyrus in his home—angry Papyrus was freakin' strong! She looked at the dog shaped molder, then at the bone shaped molder and sighed, using both. She really wished her house wasn't on fire, then again… _how_ was that even possible?

Papyrus walked out of the kitchen, looking at the sofa were his brother's body was sprawled, snoring loudly. Papyrus looked back into the kitchen for a moment before walking to his brother, kneeling down and staring at his weary eyes sockets which were closed. Dark circles were underneath them, darker than usual. "WHAT ARE YOU AND GRILLBY UP TO, I WONDER…" Pappy whispered to himself, his hand caressing Sans' skull as he slept soundly. Roaming around in the dead of night, always coming home late with that horrible stench around him, missing sentry duty most of the time AND his other jobs too! Was he not afraid of losing his jobs?

Papyrus noticed how Sans began to twitch in his sleep—his nightmares were returning it seemed. Poor Sans. Was he hiding something big from him again? Did it have to do with Frisk? He sure has said 'kid' a lot in his sleep lately, and last night, those papers he found on the floor…

"Papyrus, your spaghetti is burning!" shouted Undyne, her voice startling Sans whose eye sockets opened wide, his left eye flashing a bright blue but calming down when he saw his brother staring at him with concern. "uh… sup paps? are we late to sentry duty again?" he asked, closing his eye sockets while he pushed himself up from the sofa. Instead of being alone when Sans opened his eyes, Papyrus was still standing there, looking down at him with that continued worried expression. "yo paps, your spaghetti bro," Sans said, his eye sockets widening as Papyrus' hands picking him up. "paps?" he asked, but his brother instead walked into the kitchen in silence, freaking out when he saw the smoke coming from the spaghetti. "HOLY SPAGHETTI, UNDYNE, ITS ON FIRE!" He exclaimed, dropping Sans as his arms went in the air.

Sans hit the floor hard, laughing as he watched Papyrus run around the kitchen screaming and waving his arms in the air while Undyne fell down as well from how hard she was laughing.

Papyrus ran out of the kitchen to continue his screaming quest, running around the living room before he jumped out the window. He could hear the laughter from outside, his head popping in and hearing Sans' genuine laughter ringing around the house. The fishwoman began to get up, dusting herself off and turning off the stove, grabbing the handle on the pot and putting it down on the floor where she then proceeded to stab it with a spear and stomp on the fire furiously. "Man, Frisk is missing out! Where is the little shrimp anyways? She was gone before I woke up," asked Undyne, her laughing dying out and her hand wiping the remaining tears. Sans straightened out his back, shrugging as he looked away. "jeeze i was so diddly darn **charred** last night, don't **ash** me."

The door to the house slammed shut as Papyrus screamed even more, throwing his hands in the air more dramatically. "SANS!" He screeched, his voice coming from the living room. Undyne laughed, extending out her hand and helping out Sans. He really did look tired. "Doggo called me, telling me everyone should take a day off today and go to Grillby's today and show him we appreciate him, so that he can take a day off tomorrow while we all work extra hard tomorrow. I thought it was pretty neat idea, how's about it? My pancakes are ruined anyways," she laughed, looking at the black remnants of what used to be pancakes. Sans' eyes lit up. "are you setting me up for some serious **fire** puns? you're **pot** ting it in' **napalm** of my hand, don't ya know i'll have a **blast**?"

Undyne didn't think Papyrus could scream louder than what he had already done. His white cheeks were a deep orange and for a second, it almost seemed as though his right eye had flashed an orange color. His hands grabbed a pillow and his muffled screams echoed throughout the home along with the jolly laughter of Undyne and Sans. His body then just… fell over, pillow first as his muffled screams continued. "poor paps, he's **fuming**. he's not even **frying** to stop my **pans**. Maybe he can't **candle** the **heat** , he's no **match** for me. But let's stop **burning** **thyme** , and go to **grill** by's already, sheesh, the pun master just wants to **b'laze** y." Winked Sans, watching as Papyrus got up, **steaming** with fury. In the background, the drum beat sounded while Undyne applauded. "I'M GETTING DRESSED NOW, YOU SHOULD TOO!" Shouted Papyrus, throwing the pillow towards Sans before making his way upstairs, holding in his laughter until after he was in his room. Sans hadn't gone on a pun rampage since they were kids.

The two brothers walked while Undyne followed loosely behind on her phone the entire time. Papyrus seemed to be giving Sans the silent treatment which he hadn't done in years, not since they were kids. Sans smirked.

Papyrus was startled when his phone began to ring, and he answered. It was Frisk, so he put her on the speaker. "Pappy, did you activate the puzzles in hotland? Monsters were unable to pass through," asked Frisk, her voice sweet as usual. "OH NO! THE PUZZLES REACTIVATING… CAUSED THOSE PEOPLE TO MISS WORK!?" gasped Papyrus, realizing that it seemed so much of a coincidence that everyone in Snowdin was taking a day off too. Sans perked up, his grin growing as her voice reassured him of her safety, although the puzzles reactivating… they could only be activated through the CORE CONTROL, which was in the lab. "yep. that's why i'm missing work, too." He chimed in, but his thoughts were on the reactivated puzzles. Those puzzles could be very dangerous, deadly even. They were, after all, Gaster's design after Arial's death. If she was in Hotland, then the puzzles weren't too hard, but if she got closer to the castle…

"OH MY GOD! SANS, GO DO YOUR JOB(S)!" shouted Pappy, hearing a click as Frisk hung up. Sans laughed, shrugging. "it's my day off, remember? but you're right, i'll go to my side job later."

Undyne giggled, putting up her phone as she beamed, catching up with the guys. "Hey guys, can you believe this! Frisk was on Mettaton's Show! The little twerp is his special guest for the day, though… something about it is giving me a bad feeling. It's almost as though Mettaton is trying to kill her,"

Papyrus quickly disagreed, shaking his head vehemently. "METTATON WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BELIEVE METTATON IS JUST ACTING!"

Sans breathed in. Alphys must have a hand in all this, he just knew it. But, what was her game? She appeared to be a victim in this as well, but she built Mettaton. Sure, the dinosaur was a lousy scientist, but to have been unable to turn off her own creation's human hunting capabilities? It was absurd! Besides, she knew that if something happened to Frisk, well… Sans would pay her a visit. For now, Sans had to go along with it, but hanging around Grillby's all day seemed like a good idea. There, he could keep an eye out on Mettaton's movements and know where exactly to teleport.

As the trio of friends made their way across the snow, RP floated by, humming in a delightful mood. Their body swayed from side to side, almost as though it were dancing in an odd sort of way. They continued to make their way to the bar, and as they approached, another robed figure emerged and seemed to be hastily following after RP. This figure was not like RP, and it was apparent that it was a female by the way the robe hugged her body. White fur could be seen but other than that, the identity of thise figure was a mystery. Papyrus' eye socket flew up, the thin line above it cocking as he narrowed his eyes. "SOMETHING SEEMS AFOOT…" he muttered, his head moving as he continued to watch the figure hurry after RP.

Undyne's arm rested on the crook of Pap's neck, tilting her head back. "You're thinking too much on it! It might be their girlfriend or boyfriend? Or maybe a secret admirer? Perhaps family? Who knows, but LET'S JUST EAT!"

As the door to the bar opened, a familiar voice shouted. "Sans!" exclaimed Doggo, and soon the entire bar erupted with his name and various forms of hello. Once inside the busy bar, the friends went on to sit at the counter where Sans' usual spot was mysteriously vacant. Flames seemed to rise from the thin open spaces between the door and the door frame, and Doggo seemed to be walking around with a tray, going back and forth from the counter to the tables, the pockets in his pants jingling with coins left behind as tips. "OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THAT TIP JAR!" Exclaimed Undyne, staring at the various tip jars which were full. Several other jars were empty, for future tips it seemed. "He's making a killing! Man… I hope the wait isn't too long, I'm starving," grinned Undyne, her arms carrying two high chairs, one in each hand, and setting them down beside Sans' chair.

Papyrus looked at the menu, but nothing of interest. Instead, he saw a newspaper lying close, and he picked it up, staring at the grey paper with little interest. Father sure did like reading the newspaper, but Sans hated it after he changed. He crossed his legs much like father did when he sat in his recliner, opening the newspaper as he looked through the headlines. To his left side, Sans seemed to have gotten a bit nervous, his phalanges tapping on the counter. He seemed to be glancing at the tv quite often. …Strange.

Soon enough, Grillby emerged from his backroom with a dolly full of plates, his head quickly looking their way. "I'll take their orders personally, Doggo. Thank you," Grillby spoke softly, his feet swiftly moving him to the far right of his bar, his elbows on the counter as he rested his fiery head on his hands. "I'm surprised to see you two here. What's the occasion?" he asked, not making eye contact with Sans.

Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets slightly. Very strange. "Eh, well, you know, celebrating No Work Day it seems. People in Hotland didn't go to work either." Undyne responded, her phone beeping with messages. "WELL, I SUPPOSE WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE FRISK'S ON SCREEN DEBUT, I HEARD SHE WAS A SPECIAL GUEST ON METTATON'S SHOW, NYEH."

Grillby's was slow in his reaction. "O-Oh? That's fascinating! The kid's gonna go places, huh?" Grillby responded, although his response seemed weird.

Things were not adding up. Grillby and Sans definitely knew about Frisk, and both seemed to be hiding something.

Their conversation continued on for a few minutes before they were interrupted by the TV.

"HELLO, BEAUTIFUL VIEWERS!~ YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS! IT'S… COOKING WITH METTATON! CONTINUING WITH TODAY'S THEME, OUR SPECIAL GUEST, FRISK THE HUMAN, WILL BE JOINING US SHORTLY."

Grillby's head snapped towards Sans, and the skeleton quickly got up from his seat. "you know the usual for me, buddy. i just remembered i have to feed my pet rock, he gets cranky when he doesn't get his breakfast. i'll be back soon,"

Undyne watched as the short bag of bones shuffled his way out of the bar, slower than the usual. "Hurry up, will ya? If you go that slow, you'll take forever!" Undyne advised, but the skeleton continued to go at the same pace.

When the door to the bar closed behind him, Sans quickly darted towards the trees, embracing the shadows as his blue eye flashed. A cooking studio, huh?

As he warped to the cooking studio, he realized that the closer he got to the location, tiny pixelized blocks began to appear. Oh no.

His slippers touched the ground, the lights in the studio turning off. "THE HUMAN APPROACHES! LET'S SURPRISE THEM!" Mettaton shouted towards the camera as one by one, the lights began to turn off. Sans Hid behind the counter, but the floor beneath him began to glitch out once more.

Once more, Chara's ghost began to manifest itself, her usual smile replaced by a stoic expression. "…let's get this over with." She muttered, her appearance shrinking back into the child like appearance she had sported in whatever memory or witchcraft it was.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Initiating:**

 **Playtime with Chara**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans opened his eyes, turning to his side and realizing that Grillby had just begun to materialize into this… world or memory.

"Huh? W-what's going on?" he squeaked, falling unto his bottom and looking up the big kids who seemed serious. Oh. Wait, he was back? But wasn't he was just about to start grilling more burgers?

Chara crossed her arms as the elevator continued to descend. "Yeah, well, you were in my SAVE file, get over it. It'll just be a few minutes in the real world anyways." Chara snapped, her back to the two monsters while her foot thumped on the floor impatiently.

Sans helped Grillby to his feet, somehow happy to be taller than his friend again. "what's your angle, anyways? you're acting so strange and differently in this world, it won't fool me, demon." Asked Sans, crossing his arms as well, waiting for an answer.

The elevator stopped, and Chara turned around, her lips twitching between a smirk and a sneer. "I'm _trying_ to enjoy my victory lap before I erase everyone from existence. Even as a demon, I have a few issues to resolve before I kill all of you." She grumbled, pushing the two monsters aside as she walked out of the elevator. Not even five seconds out of the elevator, she was knocked down by a familiar white fur ball who attacked her in a frenzy of licks and gentle bites.

"Get OFF, REX!" her voice boomed, but the dog only continued to play along, its body a little bit over half the size of Chara, but quite muscular and strong.

Sans grinned, but at the same time he was slightly disturbed. Rex only met Chara once, and he wasn't this friendly with strangers, which meant he knew her. "guys stop **rex** aling, we got lives to attend to in the real world." Sans gushed, opening his arms and watching as the dog jumped up, running to its master. The familiar fur against his bones was something he thought he'd never feel again. The warm licks of his tongue against his cheeks, the hot breath of life coming from his pet, everything about him screamed with life unlike the deformed skull which carried his essence which was his gaster blaster. A weapon. No, this was a pet, a very loveable pet.

Chara got up, looking at the full dog bowl nearby. "…Your stupid father had a sick obsession with killing humans way before the thing with your mom. He'd take me here and teach me about the underground, about monsters, and how I could integrate with their society. I thought he wanted to help." Chara's voice echoed in the empty facility, her footsteps joining in as she began to make her way.

Sans furrowed his eye sockets, his hands patting the furs on his pet while Grillby began to catch up to her, walking side by side once he caught up.

Chara looked at all the machinery, unlike the lines of beds scattered about currently at the lab. "And I, like a stupid child, believed him. All I wanted when I arrived underground, was to get stronger so that I could go back to my village and slaughter the filthy human pigs that stole everything from me." She declared, her voice seeping with fury as her fists turned her knuckles white, draining it of all the boiling blood. Her fist hit the nearby machine repeatedly, grinding her teeth as her right hand began to bleed, yet her hand continued to hit the hard metals as hard as she could, trembling before impact. Grillby took several steps back, clearly alarmed by her sudden violent behavior, although what else could he have expected? Sans carried his dog, embracing the fur ball which whimpered sadly, looking at Chara with concern.

Not a single dent made. She let out a frustrated groan, kicking the machine before turning back to the two monsters that stared at her. "I HATE HUMANS! I HATE ALL OF HUMANITY! But more importantly, I HATE TRAITORS!" She roared, her right foot stomping on the floor while her face turned a bright red, probably from her tantrum. Her chest moved violently as she stomped her way out of the room, the two monsters following in the distance.

"The Dreemurrs gave me a home, gave me a life I could stick by. Not even Tara loved me with the same amount that they demonstrated, I think, or I thought. It was all a LIE! Monsters could never love a human, and humans could never love anything other than themselves. Everyone in the underground showered me with 'love', everyone… except you, Sans."

Sans shuddered when she had spoken his name, his grip on Rex tightening as those red passionate eyes stared at him. "You were the only one who pushed me away. You were the only one who challenged me. You were the only one who ignored me."

She turned around, continuing to walk the empty halls like she knew by heart. "He had been analyzing me. I had ungodly amounts of DETERMINATION. I was the perfect specimen to power the underground and his crazy inventions." Chara continued to explain, stopping in front of a sealed off room which read 'Under Reconstruction'. Her eyes looked at the number pad beside the door, her fingers swiftly inputting a long string of numbers without flinching. Sans gulped, realizing what room this was. Power the Underground? She couldn't be saying…

The door unlocked and opened. She knew the super long numeric code by heart? Not even Sans could remember his dad's personal numeric codes, but… perhaps he should write it down. It could open up one of the other safes he hadn't been able to open.

The lean girl walked into the darkness, her hand clapping and staring ahead as the lights turned on. "He told me of a way to bypass the barrier. He told me, that a human SOUL, when absorbed by a monster, would meld with it and together they'd be able to pass through the barrier to get to the surface. He knew I'd do anything for my newfound family. Tch. The bastard thought I'd offer him my SOUL, and he believed I had, but I crossed him. He told me he wouldn't harm the humans on the other side, but I had an agenda to complete. Had I known he wanted to destroy humanity, I would have given him my SOUL," laughed Chara, twirling in the room with her arms held out. One misplaced foot, however, sent her falling down on the metal floor, and she fell back laughing, staring at the ceiling. "Instead, I got Asriel to help me. I poisoned myself with mother's favorite flower, and I was agonizing in my deathbed, but I knew **, I knew** , I'd be stepping on the surface soil. And I did. But Asriel, that backstabbing goat ruined my plans. Didn't he know I was doing it for us?! I WAS DOING IT FOR THE UNDERGROUND!" she wailed, her hands hitting the floor.

A tense silence filled the room, and Grillby walked around it, noticing several gadgets, all of which seemed to be prototypes. One of them caught his eye. A high-tech jar, with Chara's name. Sans joined him, the dog sniffling as its master continued to grip unto him with dread in his hold.

"We came back to the Underground, and instead of trying to hold on to life, he gave up. He gave up on us, and… And then everything I knew about the underground turned." Chara spoke, her voice breaking at some points but sounding quite betrayed. "For starters, your dadster collected my SOUL before it disappeared. Instead of going to the surface, he realized I was a threat and I couldn't be trusted, that SOULs could overpower one. He kept me around, and kept building this stupid machine to power up the underground as he had originally planned. The more he built, the more he consulted pre-war blueprints. He didn't come up with half of the machines you see, they were all pre-war tech he remembered and had blueprints to. The more time I spent watching over the underground, the more disgusted I became. The more time I spent with Gaster, the more I realized what he was doing, and the more I learned about his stupid family. He kept things from before the war, stole things from the eastern labs before he set everything on fire. Gaster and I had a lot in common, I guess, but, there's just one difference between us,"

Grillby and Sans turned around, watching as she sat up and faced an ominous machine whose designed looked like some sort of creepy face. "I had nothing to lose, and everything to gain." She whispered, her eyes staring at the SOUL machine as her arms wrapped around her legs, hugging them as she continued to stare at the machine with hatred in her eyes. Memories flashed in her mind, all of them of Sans who would stare into the machine with curiosity, asking about the SOUL machine. "Its name isn't SOUL machine, idiot. Its name is CHARA. Collected Human Artificially Redesigned for Attunement."

Grillby gulped, and quickly caught Sans who had lost his balance, although he wasn't much help and the two fell on the floor while Rex walked over to Chara, licking the salty water off of her cheeks. "Go away!" she yelled, pushing away the dog, but the snowball only came back and sat beside her, panting and whimpering as he looked at her with those glistening eyes. "…You stupid dog. You didn't even fight back when he killed you." gasped Chara, her arms flinging around the dog as she cried into its long, thick fur. Why was she crying? These feelings were obsolete; she was not a kid anymore. This stupid childish body was making her feel things and think things she shouldn't care about anymore. Her mind was tearing itself apart, her thoughts of a time when she was child fighting with her current resolve. She recreated this world _too_ well.

Sans looked away, standing up and helping Grillby as he walked to a metal coffin with Chara's name on it. He knew what it was. It was a coffin designed to house a human and separate its SOUL from its body, thereby being able to analyze the SOUL without necessarily killing its host, almost like an artificial battle, without the battle. To the side, he saw stacks upon stacks of chocolate bars as well as gummies. Bribes. He walked to a desk, feeling Grillby close behind him as he stopped in front of a board with several pages pinned on it, and several blurred photos. 'CHARANJIT' had been scribbled in capital letters and in red, alongside the name 'MARA'. There was a chart with their names on it—a family tree. Following it, Sans realized it was Chara's family tree. He skimmed through the auto pen's report, a conversation between Gaster and Chara that he had recorded it seemed. "wait a minute, you're a descendant of the human commanders who slaughtered us…" Sans exhaled, turning to the human girl who leaned against his dog.

Chara shrugged. "Yeah, I am, so what? Mara was a lunatic who wanted to overthrow the Western world, so Charanjit's son enslaved her family when they lost. The Takishka family knew we were valuable, natural killers so they kept us around, breaking us down until we were submissive. I got caught being rebellious, so Tara defended me and instructed me to kill every single of them. I went up a mountain, tripped on a vine, and that's how I got here. Oh and, I killed your dad, whoopsie," chuckled Chara as she sniffled, a smile once again appearing on her face. She got up and dusted herself, her right hand in pain and trembling from the previous number she did on it. "Most of these things aren't original. They were made in the eastern labs for harvesting human SOULs and experimentation. But I guess you already knew that. They experimented on monsters too, you know? I'm sure you're going through the files, very nasty stuff, huh? Did you get to Rockwell and Franklin Gothic? Why, those two half ghouls were the basis for experiments to come! I know Rex here really did change a lot, looking a lot like Rockwell," Chara revealed, her left hand scratching the back of Rex's ear. She soon began to walk towards a cabinet in the corner of the room, her fingers twitched in pain as she pressed another numeric code. "She called you Flynn, right? I knew that name sounded familiar. _She_ was working with him… you're experiment F-007. Here, look at this file—don't touch it."

Sans took hold of the opened folder, looking a file, noticing a picture of Grillby who wore a suit and see through glasses. Smooth.

'Agent Flynn

Real name: [ERADICATED]

Age: 164

Illness: [ERADICATED]

Notes:

Terminal illness, will die within a month. [ERADICATED] treatment will be administered. Experiment SEGOE: B-593L will be administered thereafter after successful mutation in experiment MISTY-001.

If successful, rename as GRILLBY.'

Grillby took a step back, staring at Chara who continued to dig through the file cabinet. "Oh hey, here she is. Your girlfriend was helping Gaster, gasp! Shocker!" Chara mocked, grabbing another file which seemed dusty. The skeleton continued to look at Grillby's file, unable to believe any of it. How deep was Gaster in all this? Chara held out the other file for Grillby to read, her gaze looking at the dog who stuck out its tongue and panted.

'Agent MISTY

Real Name: [ERADICATED]

Age: 227

Illness: [ERADICATED]

Notes:

Subject MISTY suffered [ERADICATED]. Aging. Will use my newest serum B-593L-009. Hopefully she won't die. Possible Side effects: Extreme Rejuvenation, Extreme Ageing, Paralysis, Blindness, Amnesia, Coma, Death. Boss Monster Status to be confirmed if alive.

Dr. Segoe'

The photo of Steamy looked old. She looked quite appealing, but it was in her elder phase. She wore luxury clothes and looked quite elegant. Agent? Grillby looked up, not knowing what to say. "…I don't understand, Chara. Agents? Of what?"

The human girl threw the folder, going into the cabinet and taking out several folders. "How many more do you need? He experimented on nearly everyone, do you know why? He was trying to make **YOU**. A bioweapon capable of mass destruction. Have you forgotten all the experiments, Sans? Never forget them, because I didn't. I will never forget this godforsaken world and all it did to me. And it wasn't just Gaster, it was his father, his race. King Hector knew, I'm sure. Asgore knew. Everyone in this stupid underground world thinks life is nothing but daisies and rainbows, but it's actually all lies! Right now, they're all 'feeling bad' about trying to kill another human, but they're eager to kill her."

Sans dropped the file he held, whistling for Rex and walking towards the door, turning his head and gesturing for Grillby to follow him. Dazed, Chara watched as Sans left without a single word.

Once in the elevator, Sans pressed the ground floor level, his stoic expression more than what Grillby could swallow. "S-Sans," said Grillby, but the skeleton looked over to his friend, poking his head and smiling. "she's not going to ruin the good memories and thoughts i have, and you shouldn't let her either. well, you can't remember steamy, but we can change that right now. Let's go back to the castle and wait out whatever this is."

As the elevator door closed, a small foot stopped it, and soon, the girl's body appeared as the doors opened. "Wait. You'd rather keep the lies and pretend nothing happened?" she asked, looking quite desperate.

Sans looked down to where Rex sat, his beady eyes looking back up with the same love and enthusiasm as he remembered. "we can't change the past, and it's what made us, well… us. chara, i still hate your guts and i'm sure i'll enjoy wiping the judgement hall floors and walls with blood, but for now, i'd rather enjoy this loophole. you're supposed to enjoy your victory lap, not dwell on the bad. you weren't much of a kid, were ya?"

Chara's shoulders relaxed, looking at Sans with a bit of confusion. "…No, I wasn't."

Grillby was wondering where Sans was going with this. The skeleton shrugged. "then stop throwing tantrums and enjoy the truce. whether or not you destroy the underground, i'm not wasting my time learnings things i'll find out later. too much information could drive some insane. how about we enjoy a sleep over, and i guess grillbz and i can, i can't believe i'm saying this, but enjoy a tea party with you and asriel."

With that, Chara entered the elevator, her hand rubbing her arm awkwardly as she looked away, her cheeks turning red. At first, Grillby didn't understand, but then his grown up mind clicked it together **. "Sans, you sly skeleton. You're manipulating her with her childish needs."** He thought as the elevator began to ascend. Once more, a bright light engulfed them.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Cooking with Mettaton**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans opened his eyes, looking down at the floor and noticing confetti. He peered over the counter, realizing that Frisk and Mettaton were still there, being recorded on live TV.

"… OH MY! WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT! HOW COULD I FORGET! WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!" Exclaimed Mettaton while Frisk looked surprised. There wasn't any other ingredient put out…? Her head looked around the studio, realizing that the music had suddenly stopped, and Mettaton had stopped talking. Was this a dramatic pause? Her brown eyes watched and buldged as a chainsaw began to appear from below the counter where his hands were hiding.

"A HUMAN SOUL!"

Sans continued to watch, realizing that Alphy's called Mettaton. She called him. She's watching. Before Sans could continue to think, he realized that on the counter he was hiding behind, there was a 'HUMAN SUBSTITUTION' jar. Quickly, his left eye flashed blue and he warped himself out of sight, clinging to the ceiling where metal rods held lights. He was behind the camera, so that was good. He watched as the camera rolled to the lonely counter, and Sans sighed in relief. Good catch, Sans.

As he continued to watch, he couldn't help but to notice a few… oddities about it. SOUL flavored? There was no such thing. "…if you're setting this up, alphys, i swear…" he breathed out, watching as the counter shot up. As he continued to watch, he noticed Frisk's new cell phone, and he watched as a jetpack appeared out of nowhere. "is that… my old jetpack design? wait, those blueprints didn't work, they were just for show…" Sans whispered, watching as Frisk put on the jet pack. He watched as the rockets powered on, but Frisk didn't move. Sans sighed, his left eye once more blue, his hand moving as he moved the jetpack. He squinted and using what he saw, in combination of what his blue magic felt, he moved the jetpack in the direction Frisk seemed to be steering. From where he hid, he could hear her laughter. The kid was having fun. Although he was trying not to steer for Frisk, he did help her out by moving certain objects in her favor—he didn't want her to get hurt, of course. His phone began to ring, and using his magic, Sans picked up. "Sans? Are you there? Frisk is incredible, she's dodging all the eggs and," spoke Grillby, but Sans had no time for that. "grillbz, i'm in the ceiling controlling her jetpack. I think everything's staged. alphys is doing this, and i don't know why. Can you put the phone next to the TV if Mettaton speaks, or if alphys interrupts?"

On the other side of the line, Grillby nodded. "Sure mate. Here, I'll place the phone next to the TV while I grill a few things."

The backroom of Grillby's bar was spacious with stairs leading down into the basement floor where he called home. A long handmade stove was lit, and on the side, the name 'Steamy' was inscribed on a plaque. He had always thought that was the name of the grill. Somehow… that simple plaque which had been drilled into the grill for as long as he could remember validated everything he had lived with Sans and Chara. As he flipped a burger, Mettaton's voice began to speak.

"MY MY. IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME. BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE HELP OF THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS!"

Grillby could hear Sans groan and protest on the line. "OH, I LOATHE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU WITHOUT HER! WELL, TOODLES! OH YES! ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTION… HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE? I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME! SO FORGET ABOUT IT!"

The Cooking show went offline.

"i knew it! alphys is behind this, pfft, a doctor? she should have known the jetpack didn't work if she was one," Sans' voice cackled from the phone. "You should come back. I just finished your food, it's sizzling." Grillby suggested, hearing a click on the phone. As he finished putting the burgers together on a tray, he noticed a short skeleton looking around the room. "daaayyum, grillbz, you kept the place spotless. she'd be proud." Sans whistled, looking around the place he had not seen in years. The flamesman seemed at a total loss of words, staring at Sans who looked to be familiar with the place, even though he had never seen it…

"for a guy who didn't remember his sister, you were really protective of this place. i came to take my food to go, i gotta keep an eye out on the kid. alphys is a clutz, and, i need to make sure frisk is safe." Sans explained, noticing the jukebox was inside. "uh… what'cha gonna do with that? you're not going to throw it out, are ya?" he asked, panic in his voice.

Grillby calmly got a to go box, shaking his head. "I brought it in, hoping to fix it."

After a few minutes, Grillby turned around with the doggy bag ready to go when he saw Sans tinking with the jukebox. "it'll only take a minute. i didn't wanna fix this darn thing but…"

Grillby watched, noticing the sweat building up around his skull, his fingers fiddling with the cables and his eye sockets looking quite determined to fix it. Finally, the lights to the jukebox turned on, and just as quickly, Sans tapped his fingers on the buttons, his left hand scrambling to the pockets of his jacket and grabbing a gold coin, desperately putting it inside the coin slot.

" _If I could begin to be,_

 _Half of what you think of me,_

 _I could do about anything,_

 _I could even learn how to love."_

The short skeleton melted unto the floor, his body hugging the jukebox. "it's been years." He hissed with a sad tone. Grillby put down the doggy bad, realizing he had heard this tune before. Back at the castle… back when Chara's personality took a turn.

" _When I see the way you act,_

 _Wondering when I'm coming back,_

 _I could do about anything,_

 _I could even learn how to love like you."_

"Listen Sans… About Chara. I think you should talk to her, and talk it out instead of fighting it out." Grillby urged, walking to the skeleton and kneeling down.

" _I always thought, I might be bad,_

 _Now I'm sure that it's true,_

 _'cause I think you're so good,_

 _And I'm nothing like you."_

The ghostly silhouette watched as Sans clung to the jukebox, her arms crossed. Sans… had never sought her affection, never asked for her friendship, unlike Asriel. This… pathetic sack of bones would never come to care about her… yet, he was the only person capable of loving her the way she knew best. **"…You were right, Tara. Trust no one… but Sans… But Sans is my sparring partner, just like you were."**

" _Look at you go_

 _I just adore you_

 _I wish that I knew_

 _What makes you think I'm so special."_

Sans sighed, looking around the room. "she used to be in the BOP agency that king hector's father implemented shortly before his death. the black operations party dealt with espionage, assassinations, and intelligence. she was an assassin, and you were a spy. she never had the courage to tell me about it, and i found out some time after i closed down the labs and started packing up everything. she would sing me this song when i asked her about her life. she'd sing this song to you at night, as a lullaby."

" _If I could begin to do_

 _Something that does right by you_

 _I would do about anything_

 _I would even learn how to love"_

Grillby was taken aback for a moment, watching as Sans picked up his doggy bag. "gaster did everything he could but there were a few side effects. steamy worked with gaster up until i became of age to help him instead. She wanted to start a new life, to give you a normal life without violence."

" _When I see the way you look_

 _Shaken by how long it took_

 _I could do about anything_

 _I could even learn how to love like you"_

Chara watched as Sans tried to compose himself, sweat falling down his bones and his hands trembling with anxiety. Grillby smiled tenderly, patting his friend on the back. "You finally learned to trust me, Sans." He beamed, glancing at the jukebox, trying hard to keep his composure but much like Sans, he too was shaken. Chara walked to the jukebox, _her_ voice echoing in her mind. **"LOVE… love… two different kinds of love, huh? Violence, and kindness… How could you get tired of killing, Rose? How can they still love you after finding out? I'd rather erase the world than to see myself in their eyes."**

" _Love me like you"_

As the song ended, Chara could feel a glitch behind her. She turned, staring into a large, empty whole and seeing a distorted figure, giant and staring back at her like some kind of spectator. "Tch. **You** enjoy seeing us suffer, don't ya?"

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 **Puppy barks!**

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Puppy barks: Sorry. My original chapter was deleted when I moved to windows 7 and the backup file wasn't uploaded to my cloud in time ;-; (wtf windows 10? I give you permission to install?) I decided to get creative with this chapter since I didn't want to re-write what I had (seriously, playing the game several times and re-writing the scenes gets a bit tiring and boring). Rushed, but hopefully still good? Definitely less fluff than what I had originally written xD

I definitely wanna take the time to apologize. I thought today was the third Sunday in the month (Silly me, not going to school has skewered my sense of time), but I'll definitely make a note on my phone's calendar this time. Even then, I guess I wouldn't have finished the chapter in time, with what, starting from scratch :/ Had to wipe the HD, and sadly, several documents were lost, including the chapter I had originally written and was almost done with.

I'd also like to take the time to thank the reviewers and new follows/favs. It means the world to me to know that my silly idea is liked. To answer the reviews:

 **Minerva:** It's pretty tough trying to write Chara sometimes. In this chapter, I really had to connect to with her to try to keep her balanced and herself

 **Mugen:** Not exactly Sans DaFont. My apologies for not being quite specific (since Sans himself doesn't understand). DaFonts are basically the name of the ghoul race (aka the doctors/scientists). Inspiration did in fact from from DaFont website XD Since it houses nothing but fonts, it seemed appropriate. Going by my naming practices in the fanfic, it'd be Comic Sans Serif, but since they don't embrace the DaFont values, its just… Sans the Skeleton.

Again, sorry for cutting the chapter up again. Maybe it's a good thing to cut it? Are the chapters too long?

Lastly… It's time. I think that there might be about 2 more chapters, 3 tops until we come to the conclusion(s). My Name Is will conclude with several different endings. The Sequel? Well, I wanted to do just ONE, but… idk lol. With the background stories revolving around the fallen monster kingdom, I almost kinda wanna do a pre-quel to My Name Is, but I might not. I will warn you, the endings will NOT answer all of the questions and cliffhangers. But who knows ;3 Let me know what ending you want first! ***love, *LOVE, or *DETERMINATION**. Each ending might have alternate endings too (You'll see what I mean.) It might be hard for you guys to choose one ending for a sequel. Lol.

Next Month, on MNI… Undertale the Musical: Papyrus the Detective finds several clues! An Illegal Hot Dog stand? NOT ON HIS WATCH! Meanwhile, on MTT News: Local Guards Admit their feelies, and lose their heelies. . Late Night with Grillby and Sans with a Special Guest Star


	11. Undertale the Musical

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Italics are for memories or stresses on words (sarcasm). Bold is for internal dialogue, or emphasized words (said more loudly). Also, bold words for Sans are puns.

Each segment can be view as a sort of show, in continuation of the last chapter's theme.

Songs are used later on. Each segment will credit the song. Sorry I couldn't write a musical :/

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 **Chapter 11: Undertale the Musical**

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 **The Great Detective Papyrus** **in…**

PINK!

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Papyrus fiddled with his red gloves, looking at the empty seat where Sans would be sitting. Lately, Sans has been acting funny. There have been… weird dreams of things that seem so realistic. His friend, the flower, turning into an evil flower and attacking everyone. Frisk… with red eyes and dust in her hands.

The blue fish woman looked at his usually upbeat friend, her smile disappearing as she saw the worry furrowing in his eye sockets. It was the same look of worry Arial would wear, which meant it was serious. "Hey Paps, what's wrong? Is someone bullying you? I'll BEAT THEM UP!" she roared, standing up from her seat but quickly, the skeleton sat her back down. "NO UNDYNE, NOTHING OF A SORT! PLEASE… YOU'RE ATTRACTING ATTENTION," Laughed Papyrus, his head once more snapping towards the empty seat. "Oh… that little shrimp is causing a fuss, huh? I'LL BEAT HIM UP!" she once more growled, but Papyrus once more shook his head. "NO UNDYNE, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THE TYPE OF FIGHT YOU'LL GET INTO," urged Papyrus, his gloved hand covering his mouth when he saw Undyne turn to look at him with confusion. "That little peep squeak being much of a fight? No way, when I gave you and Sans the field test, I failed him with the biggest F I could write on that paper. I only gave him the job of Sentry Assistant because you wouldn't leave me alone about it. And even THEN, he had the audacity to snore while I lectured him about trying his best!"

The two friends continued to chatter as Grillby came in, carrying the two plates and placing them in their respective place. "Sans called. Said he was going to work in Hotland. The food is on him." He spoke, turning his back when Undyne's shrilled growl stopped him. "That little PUNK! HE DITCHED US!"

Before Papyrus could ask Grillby any questions, the flamesman scurried over to the fire exit, flames imploding as the door opened and closed. He turned to his friend, laughing nervously as he tried to calm down Undyne. "You know what? Let's go after him! I wanna know what he's doing in Hotland, don't you? I mean, how can he hold so many jobs, and last I checked, the hot dog stand was taken down in Hotland so that Sans could work at his other locations. Don't you think it's odd?" she asked, eating fries in between words.

Something inside Papyrus told him that his brother was indeed hiding something, and that whatever that something was… it had to do with the weird dreams he had been having. That… horrible nightmare he had the other night had completely shaken him up but he had to be strong. It was only a nightmare right? His flower friend would never… Frisk would never…

Flashes of the incident long overwritten flashed inside of Papyrus' mind. Undyne's dust floating down unto the earth.

"Paps?" Undyne asked, her hand on his shoulder with a slight look of concern. The skeleton looked at her, returning to the reality that was. "…ITS NOTHING. LET'S GO AFTER SANS, WE MIGHT RUN INTO FRISK."

As the two returned to eating their breakfast, a figure loomed over them in front of the counter, his droopy eyes looking at the food which he could not consume. "…bummer." He breathed, letting out a long sigh. "I forget Grillby doesn't serve ghost food… hey, I, uh… overheard you say you might find Frisk."

Undyne rolled her eyes for a moment. It was her annoying neighbor. Always blasting music in the middle of the night when he gets 'creative'. Nowadays, it wasn't as bad as when his cousin was around. Man. Well, he always seems to look down on his luck, so, it wouldn't hurt to try to be nice to him right now. "Yeah ghost boy, what, you wanna go with us?" she asked, her voice rough and causing the ghost to float back against the wall. The skeleton picked up on it, laughing nervously. "INDEED, WE'RE GOING TO TRACK MY BROTHER AND THE HUMAN. THERE IS A MYSTERY I MUST SOLVE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US ON OUR QUEST? I AM THE GOOD COP, UNDYNE IS THE BAD COP, AND YOU CAN BE THE COMEDIC RELIEF."

A blue blush crept unto the ghost's cheeks, mostly out of fear. "C-c-comedy relief? Gosh… I don't think I can be funny." He sighed, looking disdained, but the charismatic smile on the skeleton gave him a boost of confidence. "But I can try. I'll probably be more awkward than funny," he mumbled, watching as the skeleton ate the rest of his food while his neighbor picked the food that was stuck to her fish teeth using her long nails. "Ya ready Paps? LETS GO!" She roared, standing from her seat and marching out of the bar full of swagger while the skeleton, cheerful as ever, marched full of zeal. Napstablook was startled by their sheer amount of energy, his body passing through the counter where the empty plates and stack of gold had been left behind. "…I can't march, guys… I'll just… float." He spoke, his voice shrinking as he followed the two of them. It was odd, but… he enjoyed this. He floated an extra foot off the ground, to match their spirits.

The awkward moment had arrived. Blooky could feel it. He had made things awkward, and he had only been there for a few minutes. The skeleton shifted his gaze between the two neighbors, knowing that this was the 'eccentric' neighbor Undyne would complain about, but… he seemed nice. "I'M SURE YOU ALREADY KNOW, BUT I'M THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SOON TO BE JOINING THE ROYAL GUARD, AND MASTER CHEF IN THE ART OF SPAGHETTI."

The ghost looked at the hand held out, and he could feel himself choke up with anxiety. What should he do now? He had no hands! Should he make fake hands? Would that be awkward? Was the skeleton doing this on purpose? Was he picking on him?

Undyne stared at the scene, her eyes large and her lips thin. Man, this ghost was bad at being social sometimes. Was Papyrus really going to hold his hand out for him this long? It had been at least a minute.

Finally, the ghost manifested his magic to shake the skeleton's hand, his blue flustered face looking away. "…sorry. Uh… The name is Napstablook. I uh… make music and uh… float." He replied, noticing the big grin that had appeared on Papyrus. "MUSIC? WOWIE, IS THAT HOW YOU MET FRISK? SHE LOVES MUSIC! ACTUALLY, CAN YOU FIX THIS TAPE? I FOUND IT ON HER DRAWER LAST NIGHT AND I WAS GOING TO ASK SANS TO FIX IT, BUT I'M SURE YOU CAN FIX IT BETTER THAN HIM."

Blooky's magic held the small cassette, inspecting it and noticing the wear and tear. The film was broken. "…I can try, but some of the audio might be lost. I think I have a human cassette player, I-I-I'll try my best!" his voice hitched, nervous and in awe at the sheer faith this skeleton put in him, even though they have just met. Well, formally met. They'd seen each other from time to time, but from a distance.

Undyne looked down the river, noticing the river boat coming from far away. "Napstablook… got a nickname?" she asked, her arms crossed. She noticed a nervousness coming from him instantly—was he scared of her?

"Uh, w-w-well… Well… people call me Napsta, and… and… my cousin used to call me Blooky." He shyly whispered, a smile sprawling on his face as the word 'blooky' rolled off his tongue. He used to hate that nickname. Now he wished he could hear it once more. Papyrus' eyes glimmer in hope that Undyne would get along with her neighbor after today, his pupils turning into stars momentarily as Undyne cleared her throat. "Well Napsta, I'm Undyne the Undying! I'M THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! It's a good thing you haven't made a commotion at night, otherwise I'd ARREST YOU!" She roared, passionate as ever. "But I don't live there, so you and your cousin can make all the noise you want, bwuahaha!" Her laughter bellowed, wiping a tear and realizing that RP had arrived and both Papyrus and Napsta had boarded the boat without her. Oh.

…was it something she said?

Sitting in the corner of the boat, she watched as Napsta and RP did… a thing. It was singing as it usually was, and Napsta seemed to be swaying from side to side, humming a beat and moving his ghostly head up and down. "Aww, yeah, that's a good beat… uh… mind if I use it in my music?" he asked, a blue fluster appearing when he caught a gaze of RP's cosmic eyes. Were they… a ghost as well? A ghost inhabiting a robe? He'd never seen such pretty eyes, then again, he'd never taken the boat.

RP floated to the helm of the wooden boat, the wooden dog unmoving as it moved to the top of the head. "La la, la la. It's not my song, it's not my beat, it's the music beneath our feet. A song so sad, yet full of hope, bringing monsters closer to home… but, what is home?" replied RP, its back to them the entire trip. Needless to say, Napsta was quiet along with Papyrus who seemed to be staring in to the water as though trying to remember that which eluded him. Eiish. Undyne hoped they would find Frisk, she usually got people pumped.

Once off the boat, Undyne marched herself towards the lab, ignoring her two soldiers. Frisk had passed by Alphy's lab, according the people that were watching the cooking shower earlier today, and uh… maybe Alphys knew where she was…? That's right! Alphys had important information! Only for that reason they were passing through her lab.

Undyne passed through the door frame with ease, but Papyrus stopped at the entrance of the lab, staring inside with a blank expression. "Eh? Something wrong Paps? Don't worry, we're NOT trespassing, my friend lives here, I'm friends with Dr. Alphys, so it's fine," laughed Undyne, scratching the back of her neck as she blushed, stressing on the word friend. Napsta floated beside the skeleton, noticing that the spheres in his eyes seemed to be twitching, until finally he brought out a reaction. "T-THAT'S GREAT, UNDYNE! I THOUGHT WE WERE TRESPASSING ON THE MOST IMPORTANT SCIENTIST MR. DREEMURR EMPLOYED, I-I-I DIDN'T WANT TO INTRUDE, I-IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO TRESPASS," he chuckled nervously, stepping foot inside the old labs where he'd pass through all the time. The last time he passed this frame, Sans had been holding his hand and they had left with their luggage in their other hand. _"AND DADDY?"_ echoed Papyrus' old infantile voice.

"UNDYNE?!" squeaked a high pitched scream coming from a peach colored dinosaur. Well… they looked like a dinosaur, or some sort of scaled creature. Was this the famous Dr. Alphys Papyrus had heard so much about? Well they seemed quite… sociable, unlike his father. And the lab seemed so… uh, modern? Youthful? …messy? Certainly his father would have a fit if he saw that open ramen cup at the edge of the desk, it was a hazard to the machines! A slight chuckle escaped Papyrus as he walked to the large monitor, remembering how tall his father was, just a bit taller than he was now, holding him in on his shoulders as Papyrus stared at all the different monitors located throughout the underground. Now, this giant monitor was solely focused on Frisk who seemed to be making progress towards the CORE. The girl's face was full of red dust from Hotland's earth, and smudge marks seemed to be prevalent on her smiling face. Huh. She's smiling. It was bizarre how her face would freeze to a blank expression, but whenever she smiled like this… ah, it warmed his nonexistent skelly heart.

"She's uh… really different, huh?" asked Napsta as he floated beside Papyrus while Undyne and Alphys said their bashful hellos. Papyrus gave a small nod, an orange fluster arising much like the blue hue that appeared on the ghost beside him. They both didn't need to say she was beautiful, even in the low resolution screen. What was it about this little child that brought them all together? Napsta spoke. "She's so patient with me. E-even when my sandwich went right through her and disappeared, she pretended to like it and was super nice to me. She spent the day with me meditating, and she checks on me occasionally with Monster Kid."

Papyrus slowly turned to the ghost, his eye sockets furrowing as he looked down before they once more bounced up into the monitor. "THE HUMAN LOVED MY COOKING AND WE COOK TOGETHER. SHE BELIEVES IN ME LIKE…"

The words trailed off, an uneasy silence overwhelming the two strangers. Napsta could fill in the blank with his own answer. The human believes in him, much like his cousin before they… before they left, abandoned him to advance their career. Napsta sighed, looking at the skeleton whose mouth began to turn into a prideful grin, tears brimming on the corners as his eyes gleamed and his blush overtook him. Papyrus stared at the shiny reflection on the monitor, the world around him easing into the world around him decades before.

 _The tall ghoul loomed over the small skelly, his smooth, unscarred face looking concerned but a wave of pride soon overtook it as he lightly petted his son. "No bones? Ah, that's quite alright kiddo, I still believe you'll do 'em eventually. You're going to be the best darn skelly warrior, even your mother will envy your greatness! You'll be the great Papyrus, I'm certainly positive on the eventual outcome, and I'm the best darn diddly scientist, I'll have you know." His reassuring fatherly voice spoke, adjusting his black trench coat with his usual presumptuous gestures, winking at his son who grinned, holding his arms out. "You know, had someone told my father I'd be a family man with the daughter of my mother's experiment, he would have surely denied such an outrageous claim! My mother would have surely corrected the problem permanently," he gave a hearty laugh that trailed off as Papyrus stared at him confused. He was a very young skelly, he would surely forget about his previous statement after his afternoon nap. Picking up the tired child who yawned and rubbed his eye sockets, Gaster gripped his son hard against his chest. "…I would have never let Segoe or Courier touch a single bone on you… on any of you. I had to do it, for your sake. I wish you could have met Grandpa Semi, Papy." Whispered Gaster into his ear hole as a gentle hand patted the tender back of the worn out child. On the desk by the monitor was a framed picture of himself and Sans who grinned next to a science experiment with black metal grease on his cheek while in the background a dirty goat child and nonchalant human tried to get out of the image. The droopy eyes of the young skeleton looked over the frame as his father walked over to the desk, his free hand grabbing the object and staring at it. Looking up, Papyrus yawned, noticing his eyes turning cold and a sneer overtaking his usual calm expression. "You're going to be just like us… you're going to be a monster." Gaster's soft and raspy whisper breathed out, putting the frame down and hiding the picture. His cold gaze immediately turned to warmth and his smile beamed as the small skeleton cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "Ah, but you… you're going to go far, my precious Papy," he cooed, his grip tightening the embrace._

Alphys gasped. "You're going to go far, Undyne! Frisk's already waaaaay ahead!" she shouted, her eyes bulging and her arms waving in the air as though to exaggerate the distance Frisk had already covered. The ghost turned back to the skeleton who seemed to have lost himself inside a train of thought and gave him a small smile when the skeleton returned to his usual charming grin. That grin intensified as he turned around and ran to a spot on the ground near the entrance. "AHA! MY SECOND CLUE! A PINK FIBER! HOW SUSPICIOUS INDEED! THIS FIBER IS AS PINK AS THE PINK ON THE SLIPPERS OF MY BROTHER'S… SLIPPERS! YES SIR, YES SIR INDEED I BELIEVE I'M UNTO SOMETHING! SOMETHING… _MIGHT-EH SUSPICHUES_ ," Papyrus implored, his last bit sounding as though he had some sort of accent added on, grabbing the small thin piece of pink and putting it in his pocket. The skeleton turned to Napsta, staring at him until Napsta realized he was supposed to say something, or… do something. "Uh… uh, what a-what uh… what a good find sherlock-er, detectiv—AH! O-O-Officer uh… I don't know what I'm supposed to do," gasped Napsta, fading into the background.

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 **Nous Reviens Au Noir**

The Bait

/*/*/Song used: Back to Black – Amy Winehouse/*/*/

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While the events began to unfold, a lighthearted chuckle escaped the angel's lips. "What a funny ghost, no, Gaster?" she asked, turning to the looming shadow that continued to brood. "Tch. Another of mother's creations, I assure you. Why do you always meddle with me, Florence of the human realm?" asked the shadow, his electronic voice dark as usual. The angelic figure shrugged, watching the scene continue to unfold, the screaming fishwoman just as energetic as the son of this brooding figure. "You're getting used to my presence. You used to just talk in that weird noise pattern, trying to seem so scary. We're not that different Mr. Gaster, we're both forgotten souls just trying to look out for what's best for our kids," she offered with a smile, watching as the figure looked away. "I… can't argue with that logic, woman. Human, or, ex-human as you already are, I will tell you about my parents since you have so fondly spoken of yours on previous occasions. They were monsters, worse than I ever was."

The angelic woman got nearer to the darkness that surrounded Gaster, her light shining unto the impregnable darkness. "My father was a mistake. His creator, my grandfather, created him as an ancient translator, meant to translate life's secrets into secrets the DaFonts could understand and wield. Grandpapa Semi was a gentle man of science, and he wanted to find a way to bring humans and monsters together in harmony. He wanted to stop the monster corruption that engulfed some of us after human contact. Monsters were made of kindness, sweet, but human contact began to corrupt us into beings of power lust, greed, gluttony, wrath… the list went on. It was a noble wish. Courier was meant to be the courier of our salvation. He was an advanced translator, made with a ghoul appearance, a technology so advanced—an artificial intelligence. In due time, he became self-aware. He resented his creator for having limited him and trying to set him on the noble path. That's uh… where my mother pops in. Segoe."

Florencia shivered as a sudden gust of cold air surrounded her, the darkness around her engulfing her and Gaster. It was empty, and pitch black, only Gaster's upper torso and face could be seen thanks to her natural light around her body. "She was just as brilliant as Semi, and they were rivals. Ghoul Society had dictated that they were meant to be the perfect power couple of DaFont history, but Semi had refused her many times. They were cousins, you see, ghouls didn't care about family bonds or anything of a sort. They only cared about strengthening the bloodline, or magic line in our case. When Courier began to show resentment towards Semi, she used that to her advantage. With her knowledge of flesh and magic, and his infinite knowledge of secrets not meant for mortals and immortals, they created a vessel, and Courier became a… a flesh Ghoul. An actual ghoul… made of mortal flesh and blood from the remains of the strongest humans in the world at the time. Her eyes were set, he was now the most powerful ghoul, and as a result of her unnatural fetishes, I was conceived—inside an artificial womb of course, she would never carry around anything that wasn't of value. I still don't know how they did it, but I was made. Courier bestowed upon me his knowledge, they thought I'd retain it all!" he laughed with a sour tone, watching as the angel flew closer to him, scared of the eternal darkness. "Courier wasn't as brilliant as you might have thought him to be. He was haughty, and quite dumb actually. Just because he knew the world's secrets, it didn't mean he knew science, math, physics. No, the brilliance behind his work was Segoe who loved the attention of the ghoul masses on her. You know the best part of their little game? Courier was the exact thing ghoul society deemed filthy and unwanted, but they didn't know. Me, on the other hand, Segoe made sure I was 100% ghoul, even going as far as to make sure I was the purest of ghoul breeds. My skin, so smooth and wrinkle free. I was just another experiment to her. To Courier, I was just another ghoul, an inferior whose ancient knowledge faded as time progressed. Those two were made for each other… and Sans carries our taint."

Florencia jolted from her spot as the darkness enveloped her, her hands quickly grabbing Gaster's arm and gripping it as the freezing temperatures overwhelmed her. She was safe, she knew, but this darkness felt so unnatural. This must be why Gaster is so gloomy and in a bad mood all the time. He died in this unnatural darkness, didn't he?

She opened her eyes, breathing in as the darkness subsided and the ghoul seemed to look away, taking his arm back. "I was reminded for some odd reason, about a time when I had tried to teach Papyrus how to manifest his bone powers. This is why I am telling you this, woman. Sans had made a science project from old blueprints he found lying around. His innovative mind created a mind blowing contraption, meant to harness power from the force of falling water in order to power up a small vehicle which was capable of traveling long distances on a single charge. The battery on this vehicle the entirety of the front of the darn thing, this huge clunky rectangle which served as the motor, battery and the everything in a nutshell. How the heck he invented that out of an old blueprint on creating tidal power beats me, but I knew in that moment… I knew Sans was had inherited our taint. It was just like Segoe to be lazy, making up excuses that our energy should be diverted elsewhere. Sans had said this could save monstrosity a lot of time and energy, focusing on more important matters; he's very smart in math, science, physics and mechanics. Courier was dumb but knowledge of forbidden ideas and secrets was his thing. What Sans had created was one of them. Some machine humans would one day create, if I vaguely remembered."

The angel breathed out. "A car, you mean? A thing that carries people inside and you drive it around…?" she asked, curious to know if this was what he meant. The ghoul's eyes lit up. "So, humans have advanced. Well, yes, this was precisely what he had invented. I immediately rewarded him with praise, least he resent me if I were to backlash. I threw that car into the lava and cursed the gift he had inherited from our cursed family members.

Florencia cringed, her soft hands gripping his hands and feeling that empty hole where his palms would be. "You can't hate your son, Gaster. It's impossible for a parent to hate their child, and I know you don't entirely hate Sans. I can see it in your eyes when you look over him," she urged, but his arms quickly swiped her hands away. His chest heaved, his frown intensifying. "You're right, I can't entirely hate the boy. Even if he's tainted, he's still a part of Arial, a very small part of her. A part so small, it was insignificant when I modified him in my blinded rage. I **wanted** it to hurt. My maniacal smile and pleasure filling me with determination to change him into a wicked weapon that would protect the underground from humans, protect Papyrus from them, even if it meant making him hate me. His hate for me, it fueled me, it invigorated my hate for my parents, our hate!"

The angel winced at the shrilled shout, backing away from Gaster and shivering as she did, her hands on her arms and her legs tight against each other as she tried to keep herself warm in his freezing darkness. Her breaths felt foggy, and her lips trembled in fear of this lost soul. She had never been exposed to this infinite darkness for so long, it… it was something else. Negative feelings seemed to just jump out of her, her throat clogged up in raw emotions. Sadness, hate, anger, guilt, anxiety… everything jumbled together. Her power flickered against the darkness, fighting whatever unnatural darkness surrounded Gaster, battling these feelings with hope. "G-Gaster, control yourself! This is NOT what Senora Arial wanted!" she implored, her body quaking as the figure disappeared and reappeared next to her, his arm long and resting next to her head while her body backed up flat against a black wall. Closing in the distance, her heart beat hard, her eyes staring at this scared face, his smile growing bigger but falling apart like liquid. His long cuts crumbled as though they were old scars and foreign to his body, his other arm swopping in on the other side of her head. Their eyes were locked in, and his face only got closer, her hot breath and his cold swagger colliding and only inches away from each other.

"Your warmth, it emulates a human's core against my icy air, woman. It's absolutely disturbing."

The empty space was silent, save for the sound of Florencia's heart against her chest. She was no longer just another lost soul anymore, she was now a petite woman in front of a very frightening monster and she had just triggered him. She could hold her own, but in his darkness, in this… maddening darkness, she felt herself weaker and vulnerable. His eyes grew smaller as he tilted his head, his sub-zero touch sending chills down her spine. His long fingers sliding down her cheek as she shut her eyes, sweat forming around her forehead. She could feel a sheet of ice where his fingers had touched her ghostly body—her cheeks, her neck, the upper part of her lightly exposed breast, her arm, her waist.

"I don't understand women's logic." His voice finally pierced the unnerving silence, his long arms setting her free of her cage as he floated a few feet away. "The females tend to either be sentimental or as cold as an AI. There can't be an in between, not when you hit the stage of your life that determines who you are. Chara was a fine example of such a theory. That bitch was given the finest things in life down in the underground, but I knew it wouldn't last. Something would trigger her change back into what she used to be. What her family had been. The sentimental ones like you… yeah, the ones like you are so passive, you become passive aggressive if bad things happen, grudges that don't fade as easily as it would for others. Do not think I haven't heard your inane singing; it pierces my ears just hearing you sing that song with such trepid voice. You sing of going back to black, but do you truly understand what black means?"

He turned his head to where he had left that trembling woman only to find her next to him, her hand up high and slamming it against his left cheek, sending his head as far right as it could without snapping the neck. Her eyes brimmed with angry tears, her left side of her face covered in ice where his touch left its trail. A slick smirk grew on his face which had stopped looking like an amalgamate, turning back to its original smooth face with precision cuts.

"You have no idea, you sick…" she hissed, but her words trailed off as his hand gripped her left wrist. "Show me your darkness, Florence! Prove my theory! Just like you, Frisk is going to succumb to your lies and resent you!"

Her chest moved erratically, her eyes staring into his as she tried to think on her words, but he knew he had her where he wanted her. "You're not a saint, woman. Your sacrifices for your child—don't think I don't know. Every time she dies, I see how you change. You enjoy dying with her, you want it. It's some kind of, religious self-torture, that's what you've instilled yourself with. The first few times it happened and you saw the surface with her, you began singing that terrible song. You think you know what black is, woman, but this is the first time you've been this long in my eternal void, isn't it? Tell me woman, what if Frisk decides to put her faith in Chara when she finds out all the lies you've weaved?"

A ring of ice began to form around her wrist, her skin turning a pale hue of blue. He grew taller, and her feet dangled several feet from what she thought was the black ground, her head tilted back as she stared up with tear stains where her tears had rolled before disappearing. They stood in that position for a long time, her eyes flickering every once in a while as though she were battling herself internally for an answer. The dark phantom was still, analyzing his prey and enjoying the dwindling heat coming from her arm.

How long had she been thinking since he last spoke? The same patient and blank expression stared back at her as he held her by her wrist. Her wrist had been the only thing blue, but now her entire arm was blue. How long had she been thinking? It felt like a minute, but… "…we have all the time of eternity, but you're testing my patience."

"…what was the question?" she asked innocently, feeling in a daze for some reason. A deep rumbling laugh erupted from him as he stared off to the side. "What if Frisk decides to put her faith in Chara when she finds out all the lies you've weaved?"

Once more, the angel appeared distressed. He simply swung his arm to the side while letting go of her wrist which had stopped being a comforting heated limb. "If I recall your ungodly singing, you said you only said goodbye with words. This person went back to her, and you go back to black. It's certainly a dark song, no doubt, but quite unusual for such a… model citizen."

"I'm not Arial." She puffed out, her head down as her right arm pushed against the ground while her left arm remained motionless. The natural light around her body was dimming, while her blue arm barely made any sort of light. Her tears shinned underneath her, her teeth biting down her lower lip. Now she understood why he brought up his parents. It was bait.

"I thought you might have been different like Arial. I thought Arial was different, like Frisk. Pure. Innocent. But that child lost her innocence, didn't she? Repressed memories, aided by trauma, but mostly psychological—you're hiding a darker secret from her. Even with that evidence in front of me, I thought Arial would be different, heh, you're just humans. Even the slightest corruption can defile the purest of sentiments. What is your venom, woman? What defiled your angelic heart?"

Moments passed without an exchange of words. Gaster turned to the woman, puzzled when he saw her in the same position he'd find human Arial when she was sad. Fetal position, sitting down, her head resting on her knees. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I do mirror Arial. I hate Pablo, just like she hates you."

She lifted her head and saw the sour expression on him, her lips curling into a small smile. "That's what you wanted to hear, no? We can't hate you, we can only come close. For our children, we'd sacrifice everything, but you, you only take and destroy. How dare you try to build your son to your image?!" She shouted, her head unto her knees as she looked away, her thick accent returning. "Mi hija Flor es como tu hijo, Papyrus. Ella es puresa." (My daughter Flor is like your son, Papyrus. She is pure/purity).

Gaster scoffed. She continued to speak. "You could have changed after my death. You could have given up that life of yours and built a new one that reflected our love. Instead, you went back, you buried yourself in your line of work. You became obsessed, you went back to _her_."

Gaster cocked his eyebrow, squatting down to her level. "You speak of your devil; I have no mistress."

Just as quickly, Florencia looked up, her eyes puffy. "You have someone, Gaster. It's a woman too. The same type of woman to boot." Intrigued, Gaster once more got her by the same wrist, crushing the thick ice that had engulfed the area around her wrist. Once more standing tall and watching the woman dangle with her eyes to his level, he smirked with the usual cockiness he used to have. "Who?"

"…Segoe."

The name rolled off her tongue with such ease. The darkness around her intensified just as quickly, goosebumps all throughout her ethereal body. Her head had looked down immediately, expecting a backlash, but soon she found her eyes wandering the body of this beast, slowly rolling up his arms, leading to his shoulders and neck. His face seemed blank. Their eyes met once more, and he seemed confused, or enlightened somehow. A newfound discovery had just been made. Confusion, yet fully knowing they knew something new—that was the same exact expression Pablo had when Frisk had unintentionally shot him above ground. "…I did indeed… dabble in the experimentations she had left behind. I continued where she last left me off." He admitted, the darkness beginning to lift. "Woman, tell me! Do you think you'll ever forgive him? I implore you to answer my question least I tear this insignificant limb off your ghostly body."

A slight chuckle escaped her lips, her eyes shining bright once more. "…when my soul is fully absorbed inside my daughter's soul. When I cease to exist, and begin again, only then will I forgive him. You can treat me however you want, but with my children… you don't mess with them."

His hand let go, and she fell, her body weakened by the void she had been kept prisoner in. "…any other soul would be screaming in agony after such a long exposure to my void. You're a frightening ball of light, woman." He mumbled, his large appearance dwindling down into a slim form, perhaps his appearance before dying. A long black coat, black glossy shoes. "Be honored that I can call you my equal. Only one person was my equal and another my superior. Before you depart to regain your strength, enlighten me with one last answer to a question." He spoke with his back to her.

The angel sat, her eyes looking at the blue arm and the ice ring around her wrist that would not break. "You 'died a hundred times.' I'm sure your deaths were consistent to what Frisk went through, but what of Arial? Frisk's long journey draws near; I must know in case I must face her once more in some twisted timeline."

The air lifted, and Florencia could breathe in freely. Standing on her feet, she turned the other way, her back to him as she began to make her way, her terribly ill singing voice causing his ears to hurt. Well… perhaps she wasn't as bad of a singer, but certainly something was causing him to cringe.

"You, went back to what you knew

So far removed from all that we went through,

And I tread a troubled track,

My odds are stacked…

I go back to black."

He turned to see the angelic figure, but instead, he only watched her figure turn into a ball of light, so dimly lit, disappear. She would not take any more bait after this, he was sure, but her insight was definitely worthwhile. Her ethereal body was also something interesting, mimicking the body heat of a human, almost as if she wanted to live again. It was… exhilarating to feel heat once more. The feeling of drums inside a body, quickening when in fear, slowing when saddened—he almost couldn't resist himself. When had been the last time he felt such an odd human reaction? Decades, far too many years, not since Arial was last a human.

A twitch on the corner of his lips led them into a smile. "You truly have seen black, otherwise whatever was left of you would have been utterly broken. 'Nous reviens au noir', sounds much more pleasing and elegant, hm?"

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **The Great Detective Papyrus** **in…**

EAVESDROPPING… WITHOUT EARS?

*********°*********•*********°*********

"A-Are you sure, Undyne? I mean, I just talked to Frisk… she's fine." Squeaked Alphys, quaking with nervousness. "YOU HAVE? BRILLIANT IDEA, DR. ALPHYS! I'LL CALL FRISK RIGHT AWAY!" exclaimed Papyrus, taking out his cell phone, but finding that it was vibrating already.  
"AH, HELLO? THIS IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS SPEAKING,"

Her frail voice on the other line seemed confused. "THE ELEVATORS? …AH, THE ELEVATOR SAYS R2? BUT WHAT DOES THE R STAND FOR?"

Papyrus turned back to the monitor, looking at where Frisk was. "UM…. RIGATONI? THE TUBE SHAPED PASTA. IN A PINCH, IT CAN BE USED AS A STRAW."

The ghost who had disappeared had reappeared beside the skeleton. "…we should take the elevator and catch up to her. I'd be like… super quick."

"NO!" Alphys immediately protested, sweat pouring down her head. Undyne seemed puzzled by her sudden behavior, and it only made her all the more nervous. "…o-o-okay, fine, that's an excellent suggestion. B-B-But what about the guards?"

Papyrus and Napsta were already by the entrance to the lab when Undyne shrugged. "It's their lunch break!" And with that, the blue fishwoman went after them. Alphys walked to her chair, plopping down and taking her ramen cup which was had gone cold during their time in her lab. It wasn't too long, only about fifteen minutes' worth of stalling… ahh, she wished she could have stalled them some more. What if they find out what her plan is? What if they get caught up in Mettaton's acting? W-What if Undyne gets all pumped up?!

Her head fell down on the desk, the ramen cup tumbling down. "…this is just great."

True to their shifts, the two guards had left their post in order to enjoy their lunch break, leaving the way to the elevators free. Undyne followed closely behind the tall Skeleton, noticing that he seemed quite familiar with the area, clicking a button on the elevator. R2. "…what _does_ R2 mean?" she asked, noticing that Papyrus seemed to try to stifle a laugh. "RIGHT 2, OR SECOND FLOOR TO THE RIGHT."

Undyne seemed at a loss of words, surprised to know that Papyrus actually knew the answer. It made sense, but… Papyrus making sense didn't make sense. "…did you _lie_ to Frisk…?" she asked, noticing that his eye socket had widened. "LIE? HEAVENS NO, I'D NEVER LIE, UNDYNE! I JUST REMEMBERED… I ASSOCIATED RIGATONI WITH THE RIGHT, AND LENTILS WITH LEFT. MOTHER LIKED COOKING WITH LENTILS FOR SOME REASON..."

He seemed so calm, so It was true. Huh. What a weird way to associate left and right. "…YOU DON'T THINK FRISK WILL ABANDON US HERE IN THE UNDERGROUND, DO YOU, UNDYNE?" He asked as the elevator door opened. "That baby? No way. She needs us, otherwise they world's just gonna eat her up," joked Undyne but her smile slowly disappeared once she realized that she was half serious about it.

The ghost looked ahead and saw her, next to the snow covered sentry. "Guys… she's up ahead."

Papyrus turned and panicked, motioning Undyne to squat down as they hid behind the nearest rock. "AN ILLEGAL HOT DOG STAND! HE'S USING THE SNOWDIN SENTRY, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! NO WONDER THERE WERE CONDIMENTS INSIDE OF IT… BUT IS **THIS** THE MYSTERY I WAS SEARCHING FOR? IT CAN'T BE… IT'S TOO EASY…"

Undyne cocked her eyebrow, looking at the skeleton. "Isn't it obvious? We told him to cut down on his jobs, and he decided to hide it behind our backs. I don't know why he works so hard though, what does he do with the gold? He's probably the richest monster in the underground by now—he should upgrade his wardrobe at least." She snickered, but Papyrus continued to watch over him and Frisk. He was hiding something deeper, something more… mysterious, but he didn't know what it was, not yet.

Sans gave her his lazy smile as he began to climb the counter. "i dunno why you wanna balance 'dogs on yer head, but i totally support your decision."

Frisk grinned, watching as Sans added another hot dog to the stack. It felt right. It felt… familiar. She held her breath for as long as she could, and took long and steady inhales when she ran out of air, all just so that she could balance all these hotdogs on her head.

To the side, her self-proclaimed sister stood with her arms crossed and a smirk painted on her face. "I used to be able to hold 25 hot dogs on my head and walk around without dropping them. I could walk and jump, but you know what, I bet you can't walk with more hot dogs to the next area."

Frisk breathed in, looking at Sans who climbed up on his sentry, carefully putting the hot dogs on her head. Wow. Was this the kid's new record? He didn't remember putting so many hot dogs on their head before. A big grin overtook his face, laughing as he continued to put hot dogs on her stack. He glanced down and noticed that her eyes seemed to be trying to watch him, a big smile on her face which tried to contain her glee. As the stack got higher, there came a time when Sans could no longer reach. He could if he used his magic… but no. It's better if he doesn't, it might trigger something on the kid.

"i'll be **frank** with you," Sans' voice drifted down to her ears. "as much as i like putting hot dogs on your head… thirty is an excessive number. twenty-nine, now that's fine, but thirty… does it look like my arm can reach that high?"

He climbed down the sentry, dusting off a bit of the snow that had clung to his shorts, and he laid his head on his hand while his elbow rested on the sentry counter, watching as Frisk held out her hands, trying to contain her laughter as she tried to take a step to the side. The hot dogs swayed, but she managed to keep the stack together for the first step. She sighed in relief, taking her second step, however, one of the hot dogs began to fall, and along with it, all the ones on top of it. It was raining hot dogs, and she fell down on the ground laughing as they bounced off her back. She turned back towards Sans, a rosey hue on her cheeks as she sighed. "I'm gonna miss Sans when I leave. Maybe… Maybe I should stay." She whispered, thinking of him as a guardian, much like Papyrus.

The skeleton shrugged, trying to seem casual. "don't worry kiddo, the 'dogs are on the sentry-house. say, shouldn't you continue your quest to reach the surface? i'm sure your real daddy misses his **bun** -dle of joy," he winked, smiling but feeling a bit paranoid all of a sudden. Why did he have the feeling he was being watched?

Behind the rock, Papyrus clenched his hands while Undyne did the same. "That NO GOOD sack of bones is doing nothing to keep her here!" her whisper low, but showing her anger. The ghost lay flat on the ground, staring straight forward. "…we can't force her to stay here. She's still a human. The last human who tried living here died, she got really sick. Maybe humans need the sunlight, like certain flowers. She seems like a delicate flower." Napsta spoke, his voice sounding a bit depressed, but trying to seem upbeat about it. Papyrus turned to the ghost, tilting his head while Undyne was utterly confused. "What'sa sun?" she asked.

"Oh… I forget, not everyone is a ghost." Napsta sighed, looking away nervously. "The sun used to be this huge yellow ball of light in the surface. It was super warm and a natural source of energy and light during the day. Most of the flowers on the surface depend on the sun for food, otherwise they wilt and die."

A quick gasp escaped Undyne who put her hand on her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Now she remembered. Arial would speak about a 'sun' sometimes. Man… Napsta must be old. "THAT… MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. PERHAPS SANS KNOWS THIS AND THAT'S WHY HE'S… W-WE BOTH LOVE THE HUMAN, I… I TOLD THEM I'D HELP THEM REACH THE SURFACE. WE MUST INTERROGATE MY BROTHER. BAND OF AWESOME DETECTIVES, OUT!" Papyrus exclaimed, standing up and posing triumphantly. Undyne jumped up and Napsta floated up. Together, they walked towards where the illegal hot dog stand would have been, but now… it was empty?

Papyrus stood there baffled, looking around and only seeing the remnant puddle of water left behind by the snow. "THAT BRAT DISAPPEARED!" screamed Undyne at the top of her lungs, shooting a spear where the puddle of water was at. He must have escaped while they were conversing…

"…what do we do now?" asked Undyne with her arms crossed, huffing and blowing a strand of red hair that had fallen down beside her cheek. Papyrus hummed, stroking his chin.

"…why don't we follow Frisk? I dunno why we're trying to catch up to this Sans person, but maybe he'll show up later. Frisk says she randomly runs into him while she's adventuring." Napsta suggested, looking away nervously. "HMM… INDEED, AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION! VERY GOOD DETECTIVE NAPSTA! IN THAT CASE, I SHALL GO UNDERCOVER, NYEH HEH HEH!"

Taking out his cool glasses, Papyrus took off his battle suit, revealing a 'COOL DUDE' shirt underneath. Undyne cocked her eyebrow. "Uh… 'kay. What about us?" she asked, noticing that the ghost seemed very nervous. "YOU CAN GO UNDERCOVER TOO! HERE, I HAVE AN EXTRA SET OF MUSTACHES! I KNEW I MIGHT NEED IT TODAY! …WOWIE! YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY CONFOUNDING, UNDYNE! WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO, NAPSTA?" he asked, turning to the ghost whose mid-section had grumbled. Undyne adjusted her long mustache, laughing under her breath.

The ghost looked down. "Uh… I guess I'll go home and fix the mixtape while I make some food. I-I-I'd invite you guys, but ghost food goes right through you."

Papyrus grinned. "NYEH HEH HEH! IN THAT CASE, MAKE GHOST SPAGHETTI! IT WILL LURE OUT SANS OR FRISK, I'M SURE!"

Undyne rolled her eyes, shrugging as Napsta began to float his way to the elevator. …Couldn't he just disappear and reappear in his house? She will never understand that ghost it seems.

"WELL THEN UNDYNE, WE SHALL SHADOW FRISK UNTIL SANS SHOWS UP! I'M SURE WE'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS MYSTERY, GOSH-TOOTIN'!" Papyrus exclaimed, taking out his cell phone and navigating the monster web. Mettaton wasn't making as many updates as they usually do. Did this have anything to do with whatever mystery he was trying to figure out?

Just then, his phone began to vibrate once more. "EHEM… 'ALLO?" he answered, hearing her voice once more. Ah Frisk… she sure did enjoy calling him every time she explores a new area. "PAPYRUS? WHO IS THAT? THIS IS… COOLSKELETON95. SORRY, CAN'T TALK. I'M BUSY BEING POPULAR ON-LINE!"

Undyne let her long red hair down, trying to change her appearance as much as she could, hiding her eyepatch with her hair. "Is that the kid? Papyrus, she knows it's you,"

Papyrus let out a laugh, listening to Frisk's sudden worry. "NYEH HEH HEH! ONLY KIDDING! YOU HAVE BEEN HAD! IT WAS PAPYRUS PLAYING A SIMPLE GENTLEMAN'S RUSE!"

Undyne laughed as well, taking out her cell phone and noticing that Alphys has been up to her usual status updates. "G-Girlfriend?" she gasped, rolling down the page and letting out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was a simple figurine. Papyrus turned to Undyne, noticing the sudden sweat that had invaded her forehead. "HM? IS THAT DR. ALPHYS? SHE'S ON THE 'NET TOO? I'LL ADD HER AS MY FRIEND! WE CAN ALL BE FRIENDS NOW!" He smiled, turning to his cell phone and clicking the buttons. Undyne took long breaths, trying to calm herself and get rid of her blush which she was sure was still exposed on her cheeks. "Uh, yeah sure. Huh? Oh, that was fast, Paps. Is… Is that you?! BWUAHAHA!" She roared, dropping her cell phone as her hands clenched her stomach, laughing at the picture which he had posted.

Papyrus posed. "OF COURSE! I TOOK THIS PICTURE YESTERDAY! I CAN'T POST A PICTURE OF ME RIGHT NOW, WE'RE UNDERCOVER, REMEMBER?! WE SHOULD GET GOING!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back in house, Napstablook let out a long sigh. "That was intense… I'm so drained." He lazily spoke, floating to his desktop. "Huh… Is that Frisk?" he asked, looking at a profile which had her blank face. It was named Frisk the Human. Was this legit?

He moved the mouse and clicked 'Add as Friend'.

"What if it isn't Frisk? Uh… I better delete the request." He figured, deleting the request and getting off the website. He wasn't going to log in for some time, that was scary. What if that person had accepted the request before he deleted it? How awkward would that be?

Cringing, Napsta instead took out the broken mixtape. "Se-le-na. What a weird mixtape name, it's usually 'My jamz' or something… I should get to work."

In between fixing the mixtape and humming to himself, he began to prepare ghost noddles, which was as close as he could get to spaghetti because he lacked the meatballs and sauce. He hoped they wouldn't mind buttered noodles… he loved butter noodles. . . then again, they can't taste ghost food, so why was he so worried…

Letting out another sigh, Napsta let himself fall down on the center of his room. "Man… why is the afterlife so weird and hard. It was easy running the snail farm with my other cousins, why can't we go back to that." he muttered, rolling over unto his face as he screamed in exasperation. "Why'd you have to leave Metta? Ever since you left, you… forgot about us." he sighed once more, rolling over once more. He could sigh away his entire afterlife it seemed.

Suddenly, a ball of light dashed in front of him and landed not far from him. Curious, Napsta got up and floated near it, until suddenly this ball transformed into a figure. A ghostly figure.

"Can you help me?" she asked with a delicate voice. Tantalizing, Napsta nodded. "Uh… sure, I guess."

"It's simple really. Can you play your loud music?" she asked, sitting up. Her left arm was pale and dark, a large spiky bracelet on her wrist. It seemed so heavy too.

Napsta floated to his computer, playing it as loud as he could. "Louder, please. Make the house shake!" she chuckled, but she looked quite distressed. Napsta looked around his room, grabbing cables and setting up his house system which had been quite dusty considering the last time he used it, it was with Metta.

The house trembled under the bass, dust from the ceiling coming down like confetti during a party. The figure closed its eyes and a light that seemed to resonate within her seemed to tremble, as though trying to come in sync with his music. It was… weird. Weirder than him. She was transparent, so… she was a ghost, sorta like him.

"Uh… who are you?" He asked with his timid voice, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hear him. Surprisingly enough, she _did_ hear him. "I'm Florencia, or Florence, it doesn't matter. It's the same name, different language. Thank you for trusting me." She beamed, the lines underneath her eyes growing smaller. "Uh… are you like me?" he asked, watching as the wear in her body seemed to be disappearing before his eyes, almost as if she was rejuvenating herself.

The female ghost shook her head. "Not quite. I'm a human spirit, sorta like you, but my magic is different from monster magic. Are you… were you a patient before the war? I heard a story about ghost people…" she asked, noticing how curious he seemed. "Yeah, I really wanted to be like one of _them_. Well… sorta. Kinda. Okay, well, originally I just wanted to be in tune with music, and Metta wanted to make others happy. We were just living in the mountains with the goat people, you know, us humans being humans. Then… something happened. I don't remember, Metta doesn't either. I guess there was an illness and a bunch of my cousins got sick. I don't remember much really. I just remember we were reclusive; we didn't interact a lot with people. Are you one of my cousins?" he asked.

Florencia shook her head. "No, but we can be ghost cousins. I can help you, teach you a few tricks that can help you with your future shows," she smiled, but Napsta seemed confused. "Huh?"

She looked up at the trembling ceiling, the music still blasting throughout the house. Her right hand waved at the lights in the ceiling which had been broken (Metta played with the controllers) and suddenly, they turned on and off. "…that's so cool," Napsta gasped, but he turned to the ghost lady who suddenly inhaled, her right hand touching her left arm while her eyes were closed shut. "A-Are you okay? Wait here." Quickly, Napsta looked around his room and found his first aid kit, grabbing a long gauze and oil. Florencia looked up, blinking when she saw Napsta infuse the gauze with this mysterious oil. Before asking what he was doing, he used his magic to wrap the linen around the solid blue arm, the only limb that didn't seem transparent.

"It's my favorite oil, I use it when I'm super bummed out. I've never seen a ghost get damaged… it's usually something internal. Maybe the oil can soothe you."

It was super weird having a half ghost in his room while the house shook, then again, it wasn't as weird as it should have been. "You sure know your remedies," she giggled, sitting still as she harnessed the energy of the now calm melody. He had changed the music to one that seemed to play in harmony.

"W-w-well, most the time what's wrong with us is just our attitudes and emotions. Heal that, then healing the body is easier." He spoke, returning to the tinkering of the mixtape.

"Well, that's deep…" Florencia mused, looking over at the ghost and watching him work. "You just need to get out of your shell, you'll make a lot of wonderful friends," she added, closing her eyes as she remained silent and still the rest of the day.

The awkward ghost would glance at her every once in a while, a bit disturbed in that she reminded him of Frisk. That nasty whatever-it-was on her arm seemed to be slowly healing, her color returning underneath the gauze, but that weird ice thing remained. It was so weird.

As time passed by, Napsta turned to the net, browsing around when he saw Frisk locked in battle with two guards in a video. "Oh no… maybe I should go back…"

With that, he left his home with the noddles, the mixtape, and his home playing loud, relaxing music. The uninvited house guest seemed as though she were asleep, smiling as she grasped the scented gauze.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk could feel so many eyes on her, but she didn't know who was watching her, or what was going on. She breathed in, running as fast as she could, dodging their attacks as she tried to reach Guard Number 2. He moved slower now that his armor seemed to be getting hotter, and she hoped this would make him let her go… or something. Maybe if he goes, so does Guard Number 1?

Sans sat on the high beams, looking down and watching as Papyrus and Undyne watched over Frisk. Paps was trying to hold Undyne back, perhaps he was trying to let Frisk defuse the situation with her natural charm, but, Frisk seemed to be having a hard time. All she kept doing was polishing one of the guard's armor. His free hand scratched his back, pulling his shorts a bit up while his other hand continued to record live for all the monster 'net to see.

"Uh, hey guys, what'd I miss?" asked Napsta, appearing behind Undyne and Papyrus, a plate of noodles floating beside him. Undyne's beat face turned to him, her nostrils exhaling a puff of smoke, almost as if she was sizzling with anger. "WHER—"began to shout Undyne, when Papyrus' mitten covered her mouth from behind. "NYEH HEH HEH…? SORRY, SHE'S A BIT HYPED UP AT THE MOMENT. YOU HAVEN'T MISSED MUCH, JUST A GOOD OL' PUZZLE THAT FRISK WAS HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT. WE'VE BEEN STAKING HER, BUT NO SIGN OF SANS ANYWHERE."

Napsta laughed nervously, a small sweat forming on the side of his eye. "uh… okay. We're not helping her?"

Frisk stumbled back, her wrist wiping the sweat from her forehead as she breathed hard. She was down to 7 HP, but she was sooo close! That armor was nearly shining! Her head snapped to the right where she thought she heard Undyne, but she quickly rolled to the left, dodging some more attacks. She couldn't afford a few more hits… and that guard seemed just about ready to leave.

With one sharp inhale, she got up to her feet and danced her way around the attacks, nearly fumbling and getting hit, her feet tired of running around in the heated earth. Using her sleeve, she swiped at the last inch of the armor, grinning when she saw the Guard stand stiff. She did it!

She jumped back and continued to walk back, huffing as she watched.

The guard threw his sword down, his hands grasping the latches on his armor. "…can't… take it." he breathed out, his fingers fumbling with the latches until they gave in. "…armor… too… HOT!" Quickly, his hands grasped the side of the armor and threw it aside, flexing his scaly muscles. The sweat rolled down his skin, glistening and radiating like the molten lava that surrounded Hotland. He moaned in delight, his hand gliding over his pecs. "…much better."

Frisk looked back, wondering if her friends were watching. She could feel the tense atmosphere, and had heard a few gasps, one of them coming from the other guard. She turned to the armored guard, noticing that he was acting really nervous. Gosh. Sweat was just pouring out of his helmet now, and his feet were kicking the ground, and he rubbed his arm so bashfully—wait…she used to do that around Juan because she liked him. Did he…?

Frisk smiled, skipping over to the first guard while the second one picked up his sword. She held her hands up, smiling as she motioned him down to her level. When the guard seemed defensive and as if he would attack, she grinned and wagged her finger on her left hand and pointed with her other finger on her right hand. "I know your secret! You secretly like—" she began to say aloud when the guard flipped out and squatted down to her level, his hand over her mouth. "SHHH! Are you trying to kill me? I'll **DIE** of embarrassment if he finds out!" he spoke in a hushed voice, looking at Guard Number 2 who rolled his shoulders and continued to enjoy the air on his sweaty torso. His voice was shaky, and nervous… Frisk fully understood. "It's okay," she whispered, drawing her head beside his. "I used to really, _really_ like this boy named Juan. I was supposed to confess my feelings for him at birthday party, but… but my birthday party never happened. I missed that chance, but you shouldn't. You should be honest with him and tell him how you feel. You never know when you'll miss your chance, so you should do it now. Maybe he feels the same,"

Guard Number Two threw his sword in the air, catching it with a smirk underneath his helmet, hoping that his best friend was watching him, but… instead, he seemed to have caught the human in his grasp… so close… to him. A pang of fear struck the center of his torso, right where his heart was at. Was this human seducing his… his best friend?! He had heard rumors that this human was super charming!

"You really think so?" asked Guard Number 1, backing away from the human as he now stood tall and feeling bold. The human looked at him with beaming eyes that looked ready to cry, but still trying to hold its smile. She… didn't seem to be lying. Maybe she was telling him the truth, and she was just trying to help him. He turned to his friend, breathing in and standing in front of the human as his friend walked towards them with his sword drawn. "I… I…" he stammered, biting his lip underneath the helmet. On the other side, Guard Number 2 sighed, watching as the human backed away towards the left side. Without delay, he attacked, back to his normal attacks but noticed that his friend was hesitant, and that his attacks were way off. He almost seemed to be trying to miss on purpose.

Frisk fell down, wincing as her shoulder ached from that last attack. Her feet were so tired, and they hurt so much… it was getting really hard to dodge these attacks. She breathed in, raising her head.

"Dude…" Guard Number 1 spoke absentmindedly, not knowing what to say after that. Guard Number 2 looked at him, confused. "I can't… I can't take this anymore! Not like this! Like… 02! I like… I like, **LIKE** you, bro! The way you fight… The way you talk…I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing here with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync…02… I like… I like, want to stay like this forever…"

Frisk grinned. She pursed her lips together, blowing wind as hard as she could in hopes a breeze would happen at this perfect moment. It was so romantic! A few seconds later, that breeze rolled in, so smooth and refreshing in between the two guards.

From behind a tall boulder, Undyne teared up as she held unto her mouth, trying to contain her happiness for them. Beside her, Papyrus grinned like an idiot, blushing as his fists shook in anticipation. That was his human!

Looking down, Sans laughed internally, remembering that he was recording. His blue eye burned as he continued to create that breeze, smiling as he thoughtto himself **"atta girl."**

Guard Number 2 was bewildered, trying to contain his happiness. Opposite of him, Guard Number 1 began to panic from the silence enveloping the two. "Uh… I mean, uh… Psyche! Gotcha bro! Haha!" he continued to laugh nervously, his hands trembling with anxiety as his head fell. It was over. He had ruined their friendship.

"…01."

Guard Number 1 raised his head, tears streaming underneath the helmet. "Y-yeah bro?" he stammered, his voice shaky as he tried to sound okay. He looked back at him in silence, almost as if he were thinking his words over. That's it. He was going to die alone, probably right now, when he tells him he doesn't like him, and-

"…do you want to…"

His eyes stared at Guard Number 2, his heart just ready to give out. He wouldn't be able to take this anymore.

"…get some ice cream…"

The trembling in his hands stopped, and his heartbeat came to a halt, not because he was about to die from lack of love, but because his ears couldn't comprehend what words just flowed out of his helmet.

"…after this?"

He gulped, his brain trying hard to play off his over excitement. "Sure, dude! Haha!"

They turned to Frisk who began to get up, but her small wrist gave out and she collapsed. Her head looked up, watching as the two guards came up to her. They looked so happy together. She cracked a smile, her HP down to 3. "Please… I don't want to fight you two." She pleaded, looking up towards their helmets as she breathed hard.

The two guards looked at each other. "…she helped me bro." said the first guard, looking at 02, then turning to Frisk whose head had collapsed unconscious. The naked guard picked her up, looking down at her like a little puppy, so fragile at the moment.

Sans' blue eye flickered, grinding his teeth when he saw the tall and muscular (not to mention, naked) guard hold his tiny human. That is NOT how you hold a human. You need a shirt on, bud.

"FRISK!" Screamed a tall skeleton with a fake mustache, running towards them with frantic arms waving. Behind him was someone who looked like their boss and—oh snap!

They froze in their place, the skeleton grasping the child into his arms as he held her dearly, tears streaming down his cheek bones. …wasn't it that lame skeleton that kept bothering-

"YOU BONEHEADS!" roared Undyne with her fake mustache, her blue spear waving threateningly in front of them. "…it was about time!" she shouted, fighting back a tear as she laughed, looking over at the human who let out a soft snore. "SHE'S OKAY. SHE'S JUST REALLY TIRED 'SALL." Papyrus managed to say without a sob to interrupt him. He tried to hold back his grip over her body, afraid he would crush her to death with her already low HP.

Napsta floated over, watching as he floated the buttered noodles towards Papyrus. "She can't eat it… but it should heal her at least. She might meditate a while though…"

Papyrus stared at the bowl of noodles, then looked at Undyne who shrugged. "Well, she might attract a wild Sans in her condition…" she muttered, crossing her arms. High above them, Sans snickered, shaking his head. "no can do," he whispered, looking at his web browser. That video was getting so many hits! Rolling in the **dough** it seems. It was bound to be featured in MTT's news show, he was sure.

As Sans made his getaway using the high beams, Papyrus gently put down the human. He took of one of his mittens, revealing long fingers which although they were shaped like bones, appeared… somewhat humanly. Thick, kinda meaty instead of thin. His palm and the back of his palm seemed bigger than what a skeleton's would… wholesome. This is what Napsta had noticed as he let his noodle bowl float its way down unto the human. His hands seemed like… dried up human hands. Yeah, those were the words. Is that why he kept his hands gloved up? I mean, they sorta looked like skeleton hands but... Napsta could think about this forever but they had a mission.

"ALRIGHT YOU TWO! This here human is OFF LIMITS! She's cool in my books, GOT IT?! ALSO! Have ice cream on me. YOU'RE WELCOME!" shouted Undyne, unable to balance her emotions at the moment, tossing them a small bag of gold, watching them scurry in possible fear and excitement. She turned to her two fellow detectives, taking off her mustache and sighing. "Frisk should wake up anytime, we should let her sleep it off. She usually sleeps these encounters off. We should go grab a quick bite then continuing staking out until that little brat shows up. I'm convinced he's hiding something bigger."

Papyrus nodded, his hand moving the loose strands of hair on Frisk as he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. Napsta breathed in. He couldn't help but to notice the close resemblance between Frisk and the ghost lady when they were both smiling in their sleep.

"ALRIGHTY! WE'VE GATHERED A FEW CLUES, BUT OUR PERP IS STILL ON THE LOOSE! WE'LL TAKE A BREAK, AND THEN RETURN TO OUR SEARCH! COOL DETECTIVES, OUT!"

Sans laughed under his breath, watching as the trio walked off, leaving behind a sleeping human. When the coast was clear, he jumped down and landed close to her, walking over and kneeling down. "geeze, paps missed one. heh, no wonder yer mom is looking over ya in her after life, you're a big troublemaker, don't ya know? …that's alright. you'll be fine as long as i'm here, time after time." He smiled, his sleek fingers moving the last strand of hair aside and placing his own gentle kiss on her forehead.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Double Vision**

Time after Time x7

/*/*/Song used: Time after Time – Cyndi Lauper. /*/*/

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Time after timeeee" sang out Flor, holding out her arms as she twirled around in her tutu. She jumped in place, looking at her mama and brother, grinning as the two of them sang in unison. "If you fall I will catch you - I'll be waiting~,"

"Time after timeeee~!" Flor once again belted out, twirling around until her momentum stopped her, her head spinning as familiar arms grabbed her and picked her up. "Ayy, maybe you should take up singing, no?" he winked, holding his little sister tightly. In the background, Cyndi Lauper's Time after Time continued to loop as Florencia dusted off the ceiling fan. "Mira este… Habla Español! No estamos en el norte, chihuahua contigo…" (Look at him… Speak Spanish! We're not up north, (slang) omg you) she snapped, noticing that her son only laughed and continued to dance with his little sister to the song. Well… at least she was learning to speak the language thanks to music.

Fernando slowly danced his way towards the laptop connected to the sound system, holding his sister with one hand as he tried to change the song…

"EY! No toques esa computadora! I'ma tryin' to espeak inglish," Florencia snapped once more, laughing afterwards. "Ayy mama! If you can understand what I'm saying perfectly, you can survive living up north, eh?" he winked, cracking a smile when his mother began to laugh, coming down from the chair and sitting down. He picked up Juju's habit of winking, it seemed. "Ay… I… I don't… I don't… I don't know if muh ingles is very good." She managed to say, dusting her pants and she shook her head. "I don't want to move. I want to stay, stay here!" Florencia once more mustered up, her thick accent causing Fernando to light up with laughter. "Ay mama… We'll have a penthouse, live in a big city! Lots of lights! Broadway! I'll take you to see all the big plays, I swear!"

Flor looked at her brother, her head snapping to her mother who quickly shook her head. "I don't want you to follow dad. You need to be good." She said, knowing her English wasn't perfect. The son sighed, kissing his sister on the cheek. Well… he did miss spending time with her. Ever since he picked up the family trade, he realized just how distant he was from everyone. Uncle Juju did warn him, but that guy was pretty quick about what he does. Always in time to spend time with his little sister and his son. Perhaps mother was right, then again, Grandmother…

He let out a long sigh, his eyes locking with little Flor who smiled and used her hands to force him into a smile. She laughed that contagious laugh, and soon enough, he joined her. "OK, OK. Let me close my two deals, then no 'mo! I swear to god!" he pledged, raising his hand with a smile.

Florencia turned to her son, her cheeks red as she shook her head. "Take that back! No… No swear to god, you hear?!" she tried to lecture, her tongue twisting and trying to find the correct words, but her son knew just what she meant. "Don't worry mom, but I promise. These are my last two deals."

Just then, the door to the room opened, and there stood a short elderly woman, tapping her cane as her head snapped in the direction of the clock. "Van tarde." (You're late/you're going to be late) she muttered, watching as Fernando grinned and placed his little sister on his shoulders. "Vamos 'ma!" (let's go mom) he beamed, Time after Time continuing to sing in loop.

"Time after time~" Flor sang, moving her head to the beat. Florencia let out a motherly sigh, getting up when Marcela tapped her cane once more. "Florencia, quiero que me lleves con mi amiga." (Florence, I want you to take me with my friend.) she demanded, her voice just as cold as her eyes. Fernando's back stiffened, knowing all too well the bitter relationship between his mother and grandmother.

"Time after time~" Flor once again chimed.

Florencia looked down, trying to force a smile unto her face. "S-si, ahorita la llevo, necessito llevar a Flor-" (Y-yes, I'll take you right now, I need to take Flor-) she began to say, but Fernando shook his head, winking. "Bah, it's fine 'ma. I'll take and pick up Flor, no problem."

Flor moved her upper body to the beat, closing her eyes and she grinned. "Time after time~" She waved goodbye to her mother and grandmother, looking back and continuing to listen to the song.

"Sometimes you picture me –

I'm walking too far ahead

You're calling to me, I can't hear

What you've said -

Then you say - go slow -

I fall behind -

The second hand unwinds."

Her brother continued to walk as the door closed behind them. Flor smiled, but her smile faded when she heard her mother say something. "Be careful, Fernando!" She looked like she was suddenly walking to the door, but then it was shut close, like someone did it on purpose.

Ah… their mother didn't give them their blessing. "Fernando, la bendicion!" (Fernando… the blessing!) Flor said with urgency, but the brother laughed. "Bah! We don't need it, nah, we good." He winked, continuing to walk while he adjusted his shoulders so that Flor was comfortable.

Walking down the halls of their mansion, Flor looked at the portraits of all the men that had lead their family. They all looked so mean, and serious—was Fernando going to end up like them? She breathed in, shielding her eyes as the tall glass panes let in the sunlight as he went down the stairs to the main hall.

"Why's ya quiet, little flower?" he asked, his hands grasping her as he lifted her off his shoulders. She turned to the large portrait of a young woman who looked down at them with sneer painted on her, her icy eyes sending shivers every time she saw her. "Eh? That's grandma, she _used_ to be pretty," he laughed, looking at her traditional clothing and her up do. Very conservative makeup had been applied when she had this done. "She really shaped up our family business… she was the very best at what we do." Her brother spoke absentmindedly, while Flor looked at him in confusion. He wore formal looking clothes too, just like papa and Uncle Juju. "…what… do we do?" Flor asked innocently enough for her brother to flinch.

"Oh… we just… talk to other families, make business deals. Send… goods to other parts of the world, and uh… make sure we're the best!" Fernando managed to say with a nervous crack in his voice. Flor nodded, as if understanding what he meant. "Oh… I want to be just like Uncle Juju and papa! Super chido!" she laughed, striking a pose but instead of smiling, her brother seemed to frown.

"Hey… you should listen to mom, eh? You don't want to be like us," her brother sternly said, kneeling down and locking his eyes with hers as though to make her understand. The last thing he wanted was to smear whatever happiness she had in her. He had been in her place before; he knew how tempting it was to be just like her father. The power, the money…

Flor blinked, wondering why he seemed so serious. She just wanted to be just like them, do the same things they did. A loud bang echoed in the mansion, along with the clock's usual tone. Fifteen till…

"Ay, caramba! Come on, we're gonna be late." Fernando bit his lip, picking up his sister and running out the front door, slamming the doors behind him as he ran to his car.

On the car ride, Flor listened to the rock songs softly play in the background while she continued to sing the song stuck in her head. "Time after time~" Her brother's eyebrow went up, looking to the side to find her moving her head to what was the beat of the song. "You like mom's music, huh? Man, that music is old! Really good tho' I really like the rock n'roll from that time. You got, uh, The Eagles, and uh… Journey! You really like Journey, you know, uh… 'Don't stop, belieeevin'?'"

Flor beamed, nodding. "It feeeels like 'da firrrsst timeee~" she belted out, and her brother laughed, shaking his head. "Nah gurl, that's Foreigner! Geeze, I'm gonna have a lot of time to teach you about music when I'm done workin'. You know what? I'm gonna be your manager, we're gonna tour the world, and you're gonna sing and dance, ya hear?"

She laughed, looking outside the window and watching the leaves fly, almost still as the car zoomed past it. She turned to her brother when he received a phone call, his smile disappearing when he saw the caller ID. A familiar song played from his cell phone, a rock song he really liked. _'No disguise, for that double vision'_ it rang. He looked to the side and found his sister staring at him with those big eyes of hers, and he laughed nervously, answering the phone as he looked away.

"Ey, que pasa?" (Hey, what's up?) he spoke, his voice dark and husky. He sounded completely different. His right hand gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, the car going faster for a moment until he loosened his grip, his head turning to his sister when he realized she looked a bit scared. "Mira, ese… 'ta bien. Yo, uh… estoy muy occupado ahorita, que tal…. Las ocho? ...Tch. Fine." (Look… it's fine. I uh… am very busy right now, how about… at eight? ...Tch. Fine.)

Flor perked up, noticing how fast he quickly changed his mood. "Time after time" he sang, looking over to his sister who beamed. His right hand took his phone and looked through the music album while his left hand continued to steer, selecting that song so that her sister could continue to smile and sing.

He laughed, going along with her silly game. "If you're lost you can look - and you will find me," He sang out of tone, looking over to his sister who grinned. "Time after time~"

"If you fall I will catch you - I'll be waiting," he went along, hearing her voice sing, "Time after time~!"

The car ride went on like that, until they arrived to their destination. Excited, she took off her seat belt and jumped off, running after a group of kids her age. "Flor!" He called out, closing his door and locked the car. "Slow down!" he added, shaking his head. She was so full of energy sometimes, he wondered if he was just getting out of shape. He huffed, trying to catch up, noticing he got a few strange looks from strangers who recognized him. He cleared his throat, putting on his shades and trying to walk coolly after his sister who had stopped with a group of her peers. She seemed to be blushing, looking away as she scratched her arm and hit the top of her right foot on the ground. Recognizing the small group, he realized they were all her little friends from school. "Holaa!" (Hello!) said one of the girls in pig tails, wearing a karate uniform along a few others. Fernando smiled, waving hello until the little girl's mother ran towards them. "Ave maria purisima… Perdon!" (Holy mother of god… sorry!) she apologized, taking her daughter by the shoulders and scurrying away.

Flor's smile disappeared, and she looked confused, looking up to her brother who fully understood what was happening. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the fear instilled in all the people that recognized him, the hushed whispers that went on and warned those that didn't know who he was. He sighed. He was his father's son, alright.

"Eh? Ya se van?" (Eh? You're leaving already?) asked Flor, watching as her friends began to walk away, some held by their parents. Her eyes turned to one boy in particular, his smile growing bigger as he waved goodbye. His copper hair moved to the slight breeze that blew, his green eyes glittering in her eyes and the cotton karate uniform hugging his body. She stood idly, waving goodbye as they all left for their class in the second floor, biting her lip and wondering why everyone was acting so weird.

Her brother looked down on her, holding out his hand. "Come on, you're late!" he simply said with that playful tone of his, trying to bring a smile on his face that she would smile too.

Flor cracked a smile, her small hand taking his as she skipped towards the classroom where her first class would take place. The light lights blinded her, and she closed her eyes, slowly opening them…

*********°*********•*********°*********

This is…

 **MTT NEWS!**

With your host, the lovely Mettaton!

*********°*********•*********°*********

The rectangle looked down at its cards in its hards. "WHAT A TOUCHING MOMENT FOR THESE TWO GUARDS! LET'S GET AN INSTANT REPLAY, SHALL WE?"

As the video rolled in again, Mettaton's internal body began to make a low beeping sound. Ah… the human approached. It was about time!

"AND NOW MY LOVELIES! IT'S TIME FOR TONIGHT'S VERY SPECIAL NEWS BROADCAST!"

The lights turned off.

Mettaton adjusted his tie, breathing in although… he had no lungs. He had been thinking lately, thinking hard about the human. Sure, it was human, but… this human held the key to the surface, his lifelong dream! He wanted to keep this human safe, but in doing so… what if he's missing an opportunity here? He could take the human soul for himself… reach new heights! Save humanity in exchange of a single human life!

The lights turned on.

On cue, Alphys was on the line. Mettaton wanted to roll his eyes so badly, but no… he was on air! "OHHHHHH YESSS! GOOD EVENING BEAUTIES AND GENTLE BEAUTIES! THIS IS METTATON REPORTING LIVE, FROM MTT NEWS! AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN FROM EASTERN HOTLAND! FORTUNATELY, OUR CORRESPONDENT IS OUT THERE, REPORTING LIVE!"

There, on the screen, Frisk stared at the camera with large eyes, wondering what was going on. It made Mettaton second guess his plan, but no… he had to do it. He was going to step up his game.

"BRAVE CORRESPONDENT! PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT! OUR TEN WONDERFUL VIEWERS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!"

The young child looked into the camera with large, wide eyes that could melt any heart. Mettaton looked straight, thank goodness he was a robot, otherwise his eyes and facial expressions would give him away. No, he was going to go along with Alphys' plan, for now. If he was to take this child's SOUL, then he would do it when they were alone, and when she would shine as the young starlet she was.

...Yes. Her last performance, her last bow, her farewell concert. It was perfect! She would shine and burn brightly before giving him the chance to save humanity! But something within Mettaton told him this was wrong, that it went against everything he was. Sure, he wasn't a spiritual ghost like his cousin Blooky, but they did come from the same... family per say. Do no harm, treat people how you wish to be treated, good things happen to those who do good deeds...

...Was he doing a good deed now?

Mettaton watched as Frisk continued to peruse the objects on the floor, his blank robot body hiding the conflicting ideas within him. Sure, he wasn't the best example of his cousins, but... he still meant well. He loved making people smile! He wanted to tour the world, bring happiness with shows and acting! Blooky liked making people smile through music, and sure, before they were ghosts he healed people... perhaps? Something like that. That phase was so hazy! But who cares! They were ghost monsters and they had a new life, and new purpose and...

...hmm?

"WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY! I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW: 'A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE.' FRANKLY, I'M BLOWN AWAY!"

The human looked at the adorable plushy which seemed so realistic. She smiled and pointed at the dog, nodding as she laughed. This was her story!

The robot chuckled internally. "ATTENTION VIEWERS! OUR CORRESPONDENT HAS FOUND... A DOG!"

Frisk looked around the area, hearing 'awws' come out of nowhere. Was she actually on the show? Like... now? Was this a set too?

"THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! ITS THE FEEL-GOOD STORY OF THE YEAR! LOOK AT ITS LITTLE EARS, TINY PAWS, FLUFFY TAIL..."

Frisk grinned, but her expression changed when there was a silence. Oh no. Not again.

"WAIT A SECOND! THAT'S NOT A TAIL! THAT'S..."

Frisk jumped in place, looking at the dog's tail and noticing a hair that didn't seem like a hair.

"...A FUSE! THAT'S RIGHT... THAT DOG... IS A BOMB!"

Frisk jumped back, and suddenly looked up at the high beams, thinking she had seen a quick flash of light. Nothing. It was probably the camera that set off her sudden paranoia. Or maybe Mettaton was nearby?

"BUT DON'T PANIC! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE REST OF THE ROOM YET!"

Frisk turned to where a wall had been, shattering into rectangles and revealing Mettaton. Oh no. It was happening again, wasn't it? She felt vulnerable, but... Chara wasn't around. Normally Frisk would be able to feel her around, but... she was completely gone. She had to face Mettaton's... thing all by herself. Wait, she had Alphys, right?

"OH MY! IT SEEMS THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS AREA IS A BOMB! THAT PRESENT'S A BOMB! THAT BASKETBALL IS A BOMB! EVEN MY WORDS ARE... !"

Frisk watched as suddenly, the words became solid and fell down with a loud explosion. She shook in her bones, afraid now. Bombs?! How was she going to survive this? She didn't even want to think of starting over after...

She gulped.

"BRAVE CORRESPONDENT... IF YOU DON'T DEFUSE ALL THE BOMBS... THIS BOMB WILL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS IN TWO MINUTES! THEN YOU WONT BE REPORTING 'LIVE' ANY LONGER! HOW TERRIBLE! HOW DISTURBING! OUR NINE VIEWERS ARE GOING TO ENJOY WATCHING THIS! GOOD LUCK, DARLING!"

Frisk looked at the big bomb, wondering how the HECK she was going to pull this off. She watched movies with her Uncle Juju and Fernando about turning off bombs, but it was really intense! The blue wire or the red wire? or black? What about the other bombs? She _really_ didn't want to start over if she messed up...

Ring!

Frisk quickly reacted, jumping up and thinking a bomb had exploded already. Her hand fumbled with the phone but answering it before the second ring.

"D-don't worry!" Alphys' reassuring voice echoed in the second line. "I installed a bomb defusing program on your phone!"

Frisk slowly brought the phone away from her ear, looking at the phone and following her instructions. It seemed easy enough... "N-now, go get 'em!"

Frisk took off, her hands trembling as she defused her first bomb, missing the target several times but managing to disable it. This was pretty easy... She continued to do this, running around as fast as she could, her feet's stinging pain fading with the adrenaline that rushed through her small body. She didn't want to blow up!

10 seconds on the clock.

The agile glass of water was still, just like Alphys told her. 9 seconds. She knelt down her hand trembling as she tried to time her button pressing. Missed. 6 seconds. She bit her lip, waiting once more and feeling her heart on her throat. Missed again. 3 seconds. She couldn't wait anymore, it was do or die.

She closed her eyes, pressing the button and waiting for a huge explosion to knock her over or send her flying, but instead, there was silence. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Mettaton fly towards her.

"WELL DONE DARLING! YOU'VE DEACTIVATED ALL THE BOMBS! IF YOU DIDN'T DEACTIVATE THEM, THE BIG BOMB WOULD HAVE EXPLODED IN TWO MINUTES! NOW IT WONT EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES! INSTEAD, IT'LL EXPLODE IN TWO SECONDS! GOOD BYE DARLING!"

Frisk let out a gasp, her hand clenching her cell phone as she stumbled back unto her bottom. It was over. She closed her eyes, waiting for her demise, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes again, and saw Mettaton floating there, just... there. Huh. This is... weird.

Her phone rang. "That's b-because!"

On the other side of the phone line, Alphys stood up, feeling in the moment. Her hands threw away the monologue, feeling like she could say her lines without help. "While you were monologuing... I... !"

A dark streak of red filled her face, her eyes widening when she realized her mistake. "I f... fix... Um... I c-change..."

On the other line, Frisk stood confused by her lack of words. Mettaton floated with that usual robotic state, his voice sounding bland. "OH NO. YOU DEACTIVATED THE BOMB WITH YOUR HACKING SKILLS. "

Alphys picked up on Mettaton's save. "Yeah! That's what I did!"

Mettaton tried to dramatize his demise, but... the scene had been completely destroyed by Alphys. She couldn't even read her lines correctly it seemed, and it was costing him viewers. Today, the amount of viewers was so low... his ratings plummeted ever since he began this charade of hunting the human. Of course no one would like to see their protagonist be hunted down by their other favorite protagonist! This was antagonizing him! Alphys was ruining his image! "CURSES! I'VE BEEN FOILED AGAIN! CURSE YOU, HUMAN! CURSE YOU, DR. ALPHYS FOR HELPING SO MUCH! BUT I DON'T CURSE MY WONDERFUL EIGHT VIEWERS FOR TUNING IN! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLING!"

The camera cut the scene, and he floated away, defeated by the low ratings today.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Playtime with Chara!**

Grass tea, my love

*********°*********•*********°*********

Bombs? BOMBS? Alphys had done it now. Sans' blue eye flickered high up in the beams. The anger that fueled his power had caused his eye to light up like a beam. Shit. Mettaton or Frisk was bound to notice it! In a split second decision, he tried to move but his foot lost its balance as he fell down. He was caught. His eyes had been shut closed, waiting for the ground to hit him but it never did. That's when he realized he was falling for a while now. Darkness again.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in the elevator, and beside him was a small Grillby who looked confused. "...we're back again?" he asked, looking up to see the human whose head was lowered, turning away from them with her arms crossed.

"...you promised me tea time, I demand you satisfy your promise, you bag of bones." she muttered, stepping out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

Grillby stepped out, looking at his small hands in awe. "Wait! What about our parents? In... whatever this is... we snuck out, right? Don't you think they'll be looking for us by now?" he asked, his infantile voice cracking unlike his regular smooth voice.

Chara turned to them, her lips pursed together tightly. "...yeah, I guess so. Whatever. Let's go before he finds us here."

She walked in front of them, her bruised hand dark and its fingers twitching every once in a while. "...before who finds us?" squeaked Grillby behind Sans, wondering who she was referring to. Sans answered his question. "my ol' man of course. hey, demon... is this another timeline?" he asked, his arms behind his head as he walked casually. To his side, Grillby seemed quite alarmed by his word usage, but Chara didn't seem affected by it.

"I guess you can say it's another timeline _now_. This version never existed until I played with the fabrics of space and time. It... wasn't perfect, but it is what it is. This world continues to exist even after we leave, but I _think_ it might freeze. I don't know. I really didn't think it through, I just wanted to watch it burn."

Sans didn't feel to flinch at all, although by lack of white dots it did seem as though it did strike a certain nerve. "so... this is real to a certain extent."

"You're not the only one that's smart," she muttered once more, her scarlet eyes analyzing the damage to her hand. This might be hard to explain to her goat parents...

The three walked in silence, the old CORE paths unfamiliar, at times they seemed to be getting closer to the castle nonetheless. It had been hours of walking; the same boulder they had marked recently was now in front of them.

"gee, great going. we really are lost, aren't we?" Sans asked, although he wasn't about to blame her. They had taken a shortcut to get to the labs (which was several jumps down levels of earth) and now going back up the correct path was a chore.

Grillby was barely awake, his flames flickering as he shook his head. "I wanna sleep already!" he complained like a child, a yawn escaping his mouth as he fell back.

Chara looked quite irritated, such as she used to be, her rosey cheeks a vibrant red and her eyebrows arched down in anger. "I HATE DIRECTIONS!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down with her hands turned to fists. She turned to Sans, ready to ask for his help but she found him standing there with his head hanging down, a long oval drool dripping down his mouth, a light snore coming from him. Her hands hovered over his shoulders, but she stopped herself, her eyes staring at how peaceful he seemed when he was asleep. Her twisted sneer turned into a half smile, blinking as a quick memory of him sleeping on his sentry post flashed before her eyes. He looked just as peaceful. She quickly looked down at the flame on the ground, realizing he too was asleep-nothing embarrassing about him while he slept. She looked around the empty streets and realized they would be there all night until someone found them in the morning. She slowly sat down, her eyes rolling up the skeleton who miraculously continued to stand while sleeping. She sat there, looking over him until...

"...f...frisk..."

Her half smile slowly turned into a frown. Of course. His peaceful expression slowly seemed to change into worry, and Chara scoffed. Of course he would be, he thought himself her guardian or protector of some sorts. That was unacceptable.

Hours passed since their departure from the castle.

Chara's eyes were closed, her back slouching down as she slept. Her eyes had been closed shut, but now an annoying light was in front of her eyes. She twitched in her sleep, trying to sleep but a sudden warmth enveloped her, her bruised hand feeling the warmest.

"Chara, what happened?" asked a female voice, her brightness overwhelming her. Her voice was low, almost like a whisper, and her figure was so white. When her vision came to, she realized it was Steamy who held her and looked over her with such worry. Grillby and Sans were still asleep, and Steamy was grasping her damaged hand.

"W-what?" asked Chara, her body numb from her sudden movement from sleep. The woman only held her closer, her warm neck against hers as she embraced her. "How did you know?" She asked breathlessly, inches away from Chara as though she were trying to keep the two boys asleep.

"I don't...?" Chara responded, still trying to fully realize what was going on.

The misty woman chuckled. "You broke into the lab, and you punched the machines until you bled. I had to clean that up before Gaster found out about it. I just want to know, how you found out and if..."

Chara watched as Steamy turned to the two boys, concerned in the way her expression had been formed in that flaming body of hers.

"...we..." Chara began, but realized, nothing really would change even if she had an alliance with Steamy. "...you need to stop lying, Rose. I'm dead, Asriel's dead, and Gaster is dead. We come from the future, and all I want is for Sans to see the world I lived in, which includes you. He **adored** you. You two... dated after I _died_. "

The warmth of her body left hers as she backed away, her white eye shapes widening as her hand covered her mouth. A muffled gasp.

Chara got up, dusting herself as she looked down at what she had once thought her 'rival' of sorts. "I trusted you, hell, I trusted EVERYONE here."

Sans flinched in his sleep, his eye sockets beginning to move while Grillby simply rolled over.

Steamy shook her head. "How do you know my real name? It's classified information that not even Gaster knows," she asked, turning to the boys and realizing that Sans was waking up.

Chara's arms were crossed. "You told me. You told me everything, Rose. You were a simple flame monster who was easily sick. You sold your soul to Segoe in exchange of a better immune system and a life of luxury. You got old, wanted a kid, and had Flyn-"

"Stop." Steamy demanded as she got up, looking over at Grillby.

"-got in an accident, so Segoe experimented on you again-"

"Stop it." she said once more, taking a step towards Chara.

"-went back to being a kid, Flyn got seriously sick-"

"STOP IT!" She shouted, a white mist enveloping Chara's body and stopping on her neck. They stared at each other, both of them standing still while Sans scratched the back of his neck.

"uhh... steamy, could you let go of chara?" asked Sans, looking back towards the small red flame that continued to sleep.

Chara let out a raspy laugh, looking at Steamy who continued to look quite alarmed. "If it weren't for him, you'd finish the job, wouldn't you? You'd kill all the monsters and non-monsters, just like me."

Just as soon as Steamy fell back and released her magic, Sans darted to her while Chara grabbed her neck which had slight burn marks, almost as if her mist had been rope. Well... considering Steamy was a monster with experience, Chara would have quite a hard time defeating her, assassin versus another assassin.

"h-hey! look at me! don't listen to that crazy girl! you're still in time. We come from another timeline-" he began to explain, but just as soon as 'timeline' escaped him, Steamy perked up.

"Then, it worked?! Courier's theory worked?" she asked, glancing at Chara who continued to massage her throat.

"...sorta. actually... i need your help to win against her in my timeline. will you help me?" he asked, extending his hand to her, the whites in his eyes glowing as he watched her take his hand.

Chara breathed in and out, her hands on her neck as she continued to examine herself for any injuries. "Give it a rest, comedian! I told you, this is my victory lap. But if finding out the history of your people gives you closure, whatever." her haughty voice said as she crossed her arms. "Take us back to the castle, Rose." Chara demanded.

Sans looked at Steamy with a confused face. "...rose? i thought it was misty?"

Steamy glanced at Chara with an angry glare, but as soon as she breathed out, her expression relaxed. She picked up Grillby and carried him in her arms tightly. "Since you already know... Dr. Segoe made sure 'Rose' was dead. She changed me, and gave me a new identity, hence the name Misty. Flame monsters aren't able to control smoke and mist, that's another monster's power. Among that, she made sure I was the best at what I did... which is why she couldn't afford to lose me, I was the only flame monster that survived her attempts to create... me."

The walk back to the castle was done in silence and angry glares between Chara and Steamy. Sans didn't know if he should pry about Steamy's life, considering that everything he knew was pretty much a summery written by his father. What else was there to know about? Was Grillby her... ?

"SANS!" Shouted Ariel as she ran towards the children, two giant goats on her heels and a tall shadow further behind. Before Sans could muster up a reaction, his skeletal mother had wrapped her arms around him in the tightest embrace. "YOU ARE GROUNDED FROM ALL SCIENCE RELATED THINGS!" she shouted in between sobs, trying to sound strict, but in between her crying, it sounded nothing like what Gaster would sound like when he was angry. Far from it, Sans was glad to be in his mother's embrace again, her familiar scent intoxicating. The feeling of the hairs on her wig against his head and shoulders-everything was perfect.

"Chara, where have you been, child?" asked Mrs. Dreemurr as she knelt down and looked at the girl who could only look back at her with a blank expression. "...what happened to your hand? Chara, talk to me..." she pleaded, her soft furry hand taking the bruised hand as delicately as it could. Finally, Chara's blank expression turned into wincing and pain, looking away in silence.

Steamy watched Chara, her grip on Grillby tightening. In the shadows, she could see what appeared to be Dr. Gaster watching, his eyes gleaming. Did he know? She needed to do something. "S-she fell, Mrs. Dreemurr. They were in the CORE, horse playing around when she fell, and, I guess she must've used her hand to break the fall." Steamy spoke, watching as Chara glanced at her with shock in her eyes.

"...is that so, Steamy?" asked Gaster's voice as he walked forward, his smooth face revealing no worry or expression. His long black coat flowed as he walked, and his white scarf was light puffed out against his black and grey attire.

The mist around steamy intensified as goosebumps rose on her flaming arms in the form of soft fire crackles. "Y-yes sir. They went to the labs then tried to return home, that's when I found them. There's nothing to worry about."

The king knelt down beside his wife and his big hand gently grabbed Chara's shoulder. "It's okay, my dearest Chara. You're not in trouble, I promise. You'll just get a stern warning this time, please... don't worry us like that again." his gentle voice spoke while tears clouded Chara's vision. Her upper teeth bit down on her lower lip, her head nodding as she continued to look away. Her goat mother's healing magic enwrapped her bruised hand, all while she continued to act aloof. Why was she feeling so weak? She wasn't a little girl anymore, so why did it feel like she was?

"Come on, let's return to the castle. Little Papyrus might wake up and find no one," chuckled Asgore, turning to Gaster and his smile disappearing when he saw the way he looked uninterested. He had already turned back, beginning to walk to the castle when Asgore had suggested it. Something... wasn't right.

Ariel carried Sans in her arms, a satisfied grin on her face as she carried her eldest son. "GEEGEE, WAIT UP HON!" she called out, trying to catch up to Gaster who stopped and turned around with a slighty irritated look on my eyes. "Do you have to call me that aloud, sweetness? O-Okay, don't give that look Ariel, it's fine. At least it's better than fluffybuns,"

"HEY!"

Grillby's eyes fluttered open, listening to a petty squabble about pet names. In front of him, a tall goat lady walked hand-in-hand with Chara who appeared to be sniffling. Her bright ruby eyes caught his gaze and the pink on her cheeks grew red as she looked away momentarily. A white mist circulated around the shoulders where his head rested, framing his vision so that Chara seemed like a hazy dream. "...cute..." he mumbled, his lidded eyes fluttering as he tried to remain awake. Those shining red eyes made a sharp turn as they set on the fire monster with a look of surprise. Her healed hand brushed the lumps of hair that had framed her face, the brightness to her cheeks subsiding as a soft smile began to grow.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Huh? What..?" muttered Grillby as he woke up once more, yawning as the sound of a piano playing awoke him.

"Good morning sleepy head. I made you your favorite, 'The Grillby Deluxe'!" chuckled Steamy who stopped playing and turned around. Her eyes showed signs of lack of sleep.

Looking around the room, it seemed they were in the tea room, all alone. A sizzling sausage enticed his empty belly, along with steaming waffles and a side of hash browns and scrambled eggs. It was all neatly set up on a platter with a glass of cranberry juice and a purple flower for decor. She went all out.

"Uh... t-thank you miss-" began Grillby when his hand shot up against his mouth. Shoot. Before he could try to correct himself, the misty lady smiled and got up. "It's okay. Chara and I had a long talk, and... and it's good to know you turned out alright. You're a good, law abiding citizen of... of the underground. That makes me so happy, I'm so proud of you,"

Before Grillby could process what was happening, the lady collapsed unto her knees, laughing as her hands wiped away the sizzling steam that evaporated from her eyes. The young flamesboy couldn't move from his seat, watching as this stranger cried tears of joy for him. This didn't feel right at all. In front of him was the most delicious set of food that felt familiar but had never eaten before, and a young lady who burst into tears of happiness—What is he to do?

Moments passed, and the girl got up only to sit across the small coffee table. Her head rested on her hands as she leaned on her elbows, watching him with the whitest, purest flames he had ever seen. Were flames capable of such a color? While he pondered on the thought, he silently began to take the first bite of his hash browns, his hand wielding a fork while the other carried the table knife.

"Wow, you—he wasn't kidding. You use your silver ware... You hated it." she whispered, continuing to watch as he ate in silence. He didn't eat like a slob, or fast, he just... ate like some kind of patient rich guy. Yeah, like those type of people she'd... w-well, he did like being refined and such before... was she staring too much? Feeling self-conscious, Steamy would look away every now and then.

As Grillby finished the last of his cranberry juice, he noticed that Steamy seemed anxious. "Do you—I mean... you trust Sans, right?" she asked, putting her locked hands down unto the coffee table. "I won't lie to you, I thought this was all a drunkard's rambling and imagination at first... but it's real. Th-the time jumps, the Chara, e-even you. W-when I returned home, th-that stove! By golly, I didn't believe it! 'Steamy' engraved and there since I can remember."

A slight chuckle escaped her as she looked down unto her hands. "Such a big vocabulary you use, I'm happy. I... didn't want to believe them. Chara and Sans, I mean. Chara was so pissed—err, mad! Mad! Jeeze... I don't want to give you a bad first impression. I'm just... this is a lot. I didn't want to believe any of it. I mean me, an ancient geezer dating such a young boy—my bosses' son no less. I would never... gee, I swore to never let myself get into such a hairy mess again. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for... this is my fault. Partly my fault. I know you somewhat know about Dr. Aster—Gaster, whatever. I helped him, in exchange for helping you. You got so sick, I was so scared I'd lose you. Without you, everything turns to nothing, my goals, my motivations. You taught me to love, to care, to feel in that empty world. All that I needed... all that Chara needs is someone to put life back into that stone heart."

Grillby stared at this young lady before her, her hands grabbing his and squeezing them tightly as she told her sketchy story. "What about our parents? Why would you compare yourself to Chara, she had one heck of crazy life, from what Sans told me." he asked, noticing how she quickly looked away and let go of his hands.

"...we have somewhat similar stories, I assure you. Your mother... you don't have a father. You were a... I mean..." A sigh escaped her. "I'm not your mom, but I'm somewhat your sister, magic wise. Then again, a part of me flows in you too, so I guess, I kinda am your mom in a way," she chuckled nervously as she continued to look away. "Dr. Segoe worked all kinds of miracles and horrors. I was her left hand, silencing any human or monster who opposed her. I worked alone, never had friends. My family had died out long before I specialized in what I did. One day, she came up to me, and asked me if I wanted a protégé, just like her. Someone I could teach, and rely on when I had special tasks. She only asked because my magic was only compatible with someone who had similar magical origins. My youngest baby brother who I had never met died still an infant and his ashes were well preserved in an urn unlike the rest of my family. She did her thing, and there he was again... a small infant inside a tall glass with machinery attached. You had inherited my mist, although it was relatively really weak. Too weak, but you were still useful, I convinced her. I fell in love with the way your tiny fingers curled and tried to grasp a thin line of mist. I convinced myself that you were going to help me burn the world to a crisp, and we were a team. We were unstoppable, we truly were. I began to age, but hot damn I was still the best. I had the plan ready, everything was going good until..."

A silence wrapped around the two, the air getting stuffy. Grillby stared dumbfounded, nodding slightly as though to tell her to continue. The white eyes had flashed red and an intense blue as she retold her story. She did indeed remind him of Chara. She was passionate, intense when she spoke of destroying their world, but mellow when she referred to him. That last sentence that trailed off gave him goosebumps and his breath shuddered. He remembered no such life. Was he a monster like her? Like Chara? A reformed monster? Why on earth couldn't he remember?

"Until my last order. The band of assassins and spies had to be terminated. You were useful, we were a team, but Segoe despised foul ups. She thought you were a mistake, an experiment gone wrong, an error who outlived its usefulness. I could not let that happen. I stalled. While you were busy, I single handedly took out the entire group. I killed them, and I enjoyed every second of the rush. Their muffled screams, their looks of horror etched on their faces as they turned to dust. I was the best, but... when it came down to you, the last one... I couldn't. I had to protect you. I set it up. I set up my death and your key to surviving Segoe. I told you everything, and you simply smiled and held me, calling me your sister.

When the day came, I had no fear or regrets. You hated the idea, but it had to be done. I faked your death using the ashes of another, and timed my ambush by humans. I fought back hordes of them until the last few came up with the idea to put out my fire. A mage was with them, a novice. Afraid of her own power. Desperate to save her brother who threw himself at me. Frost hit me hard, my power core bursting with adrenaline and when it was just me and her left standing; I felt bad. She had accidently frozen her brother's leg, and I shattered it. He was agonizing for minutes on end, until he drew his last breath. Died from loss of blood, or shock I figured. Why was I still alive, still fighting? I left enough bodies, I could just give up now and die, but... the fire in that woman's eyes to continue living long enough to avenge her brother filled me with determination. They were so sad, asking to die, I just... matched her enthusiasm.

I woke up from a medicine induced coma later. Barely survived, 20 HP and slowly decreasing from the frost spell that covered my body. Segoe would go on about the statistics of finding me later dead, and how lucky I had been to still be alive. The woman survived, but uh, was put down by Segoe. She told me she had an extreme will to live, a rare SOUL that instantly shattered when Segoe tried to obtain it. Abused by the extreme burns, by all means, any other human would have died incinerated. Nonetheless, she accepted my ruse, and accepted that I completed my task and that you were dead. That was all that mattered. You simply hid among the tree peop—err, ghosts, and you set up a nice little shack where you made food, delightful little snacks, and played music with the local shaman. You had a new life, and you enjoyed it. It wasn't until you saw what became of me that your delightful smile vanished, and I saw in your eyes how you hated your former life. How you tried to convince me to become a normal monster, with love and kindness, and all the things I hid from you."

The cloud of mist around them was light, but it carried a heaviness to it. Her hands shook with worry, her head turned away as though bracing herself for any sort of outburst. Instead, Grillby simply took in her hands and nodded comprehensively. "What happens next? Because from what I can tell, you've turned into a lovely person, by just looking at you and hearing you for the first time as the sister I never knew I had."

Steamy smile curled up as she tried to hide her sudden blush. "Well, I was reborn again. A walking, talking toddler who acted like a grown woman. Segoe had no need for me, not yet. I couldn't fight in the war in my condition. I had tons of money, so I simply disappeared from the grid, with occasional phone calls with Segoe. She didn't know where I was, and it was better that way. I was with you. That old ghoul never suspected a thing, and the local shaman did everything he could to keep us a secret from her. He was a sweet ghost. It was around the end of the war, when your illness began to form. The shaman tried everything, but medical science was the answer, the only answer. I went back to the labs, and that's where I met Aster. Originally I was going to seek out the help of Dr. Semi Castellar, but something about this kid intrigued me. He was a quiet goofball, with a lot of photos and holograms of this human who suddenly turned into a prune and eventually a skeleton. His parents hated her, tried to create another version of him so that he could 'mate' with it and create some sort of dynasty of evil geniuses. While Segoe worked on 'Binary' or whatever her name was, Courier worked on something huge. Time traveling. His project and her project had one thing in common, which was, that this 'Binary' girl was supposed to link up with the time machine, and that she had access to this... super weird dimension of numbers. It was crazy! When I asked Aster about it, he just spoke casually about 'Vinnie', how she wasn't due for another year or two, and that her database was too difficult even for Courier to comprehend. He also told me how he wanted to sabotage the project so that he could be with this odd romantic interest. A few months of friendship building, and I had a very potent ally. I remember I was quite frank and direct. I asked him if he was willing to steal from his mother's top secret medical cabinet in exchange for anything I could do with my experience as an ex-assassin and skills in subterfuge. We had a few trial runs, to determinate just handicapped I had become from my sudden rejuvenation. Turns out I was still as deadly. We caused a few explosions here and there, and he was convinced I could be the answer to his problems. We partnered up. His plan was insane, but I was going to make sure there wasn't much monster casualties. I was supposed to be the trump card, the safety net and I... I underestimated their power."

The doorknob to the room clicked open, and Sans came in, popping his head inside first before Chara pushed him inside. "uh, sorry to interrupt," he apologized, blushing while Chara closed the door shut and crossed her arms. "I'm not. I'd rather be here than to eavesdrop. Tch. Don't look at me like that, Rose and I go way back. She was... my friend, someone I could trust. Lots of baggage like me, we could relate."

Grillby let out a smile as he shook his head. "I can see that now. You both share in beautiful smiles when you're relaxed and think no one is looking."

The human blushed, sitting beside him and giving him a punch on his arm. "Shut up." she mumbled, turning away while Sans sat on the other side of Grillby.

Steamy looked at the three children, all of them very different. Chara tried to look disinterested and tough while shielding the intense blush on her cheeks, while Grillby's suave wording reminded her of how he used to be. Sans sat on the edge, a lazy smile and position giving him the look of someone relaxed, but the tension around his eye sockets and the way his left leg quivered up and down in anxiety said another story. They were a reflection of how she knew them before all this... timeline mess. A reflection of who they were and how they turned out. Hopefully... whatever information and help she could provide could change whatever ailed their timeline.

"Okay, where did I leave off? Ahh, yes! I remember now! I'm not that old yet," she chuckled, closing her eyes as she cleared her throat. "Everything was going as planned. The bombs, my magic... I had begun to evacuate the citizens. They were fleeing. I stood at the main entrance of the borders, ready to annihilate all the enemy humans. It was an army of them, several platoons just ready to kill all the monsters inside our gates. I don't know what happened inside the labs. I had killed several key ghouls who would put up a resistance, put down experiments too horrendous and sad while I let go those that could make a new life. I had stolen and acquired nearly every experimental note, log, prototypes, anything and everything Aster and I thought would be needed to start over. I had done that over the course of weeks, and whatever would be missed immediately, I did that same day. Everything was perfect, but... something went terribly wrong. The humans who owed me strong favors, they were rooted out. I wasn't afraid of this happening, but... that was only the beginning of my mistake. I vastly underestimated the human forces. They were hungry, blood thirsty, just like I used to be. I remember Aster pulled the switch, and the gates opened. I blasted all my fire magic at them, my silent mist killing several hundred instantly, four entire platoons. It wasn't a huge army, no it was... a specialized army. A real worthy opponent. There were only five platoons. The first four were... diversions. Farm folk, nothing special. I thought I had killed them all. I laughed, but then she stepped out from the flames with those hungry eyes and a maniacal laugh. She was the commander, and she had this... this atmosphere to her. I could instantly tell we were a match. She sensed it too. We chatted for a few minutes, exchanging pleasantries and had quite the meaningful conversation. Quite civil. That was... right until she said, 'This was a pleasant conversation, Wild Eastern Rose. I remember your name, but you've forgotten me. You're like me. You don't remember useless worms, but this maggot has gotten stronger. Built an army of maggots that will devour your ashes. Lady Mara bids you farewell. See you in hell.' …God, that woman's goodbye speech is just... inscribed in my mind. Right on cue, the last platoon swarmed the gates, and try as I might, their defensive magic was top notch. Most of them were well versed in ice magic, I didn't stand a chance. I thought quickly, and I escaped, faked my death again. I doubt they believed it, but I disappeared. I went back to the labs, tried to reach Aster who had not joined me with his grandfather. It was a good thing though, had he appeared, he would have most likely died in that ambush, of course... what happened in the labs wasn't good either. Courier died, but... so did Dr. Castellar. Died protecting Aster. I told him we needed to make a getaway quick, that a maniac was going to destroy everyone. We got everything we could, gathered the ashes, and tried to go to the dome. There was a giant dome, where we would have sports and entertainment, everyone had fled there. It was secure.

We thought it was secure. That dome was our getaway, a jet propelled dome that could take us to the capital, but Mara had beaten us to it. They did not burn down anything, no, they were preserving our technology. We hid as we watched her go up to the doors and attempt to hack her way into the dome. The outer doors opened. If we confronted them, we were dead. If we did nothing, everyone inside was dead and those humans would hijack our only way out of there. Not only that, but I'm sure they would try to use our technology against us. We did the most practical and logically right thing. He went back to the labs and caused machines to overload, and I... I used the explosions to spread the fire. I had wrapped him in my mist so that I could try to avoid killing him, and I... just set off the biggest arson ever. The labs were first to go, the buildings surrounding it, slowly creeping towards the dome. I didn't want to kill innocents, but Aster had urged me to do it if the humans did not budge. More than half the army had fled back to their human lands, the small few still there clinging to the dome as Mara opened the second doors. One more... and it was over. She probably had the strongest mages and wizards with her. The fires were strong, and I grew stronger, bolder. She cracked the third door. I stepped out from the shadows, behind her platoon. They all cowered as flames surrounded the dome and my appearance grew bigger to match the power it gave me. She shouted 'FALL BACK!' and everyone but two wizards scurried behind me, waiting to ambush me at her command, but far enough to survive an attack with my magic. They were careful. Her hand levitated on the button that opened the door, and when she pressed that button and the doors began to open, I saw the look of terror in their eyes. Mothers and fathers holding their little ones, crying as this woman grinned with the evilest smile I had ever seen with my own two eyes, but it was familiar. It was the same smile I would have. I breathed in, and when I saw that the two wizards were about to attack the inside, I fought. Aster and I had walked that dome before, I knew the combustible parts, where they were. It lit up like a set of lights, the outside of the dome I mean. Mara's hand flew up, then swiped the air, and just like that, the ambush party had fled. One of the wizards was protecting them inside a protective balloon, while the other had begun to cast magical spells at the defenseless monsters inside. I couldn't contain my anger and frustration, so I went after those three humans. That was another mistake. If it weren't for the explosions and fire, I'm sure I'd be dead. We fought, and... I was losing. Monsters were dying, terrible, painful deaths. I did them a favor. My..."

She trailed off, her hands rising as she stared at her hands. Mist engulfed her, curling around her arms and fingers. Chara perked up, her eyes ablaze. "Your cool mist powers killed everyone, super quick, in a second!"

Sans glared at Chara, shaking his head as he crossed his arms while Grillby continued to look at Steamy whose fingers curled and her head fell in remorse. "I had no choice. Dust had burst inside that giant dome, and Mara knew what I was about to do. She had to. I knew about the reactor down beneath the dome. I knew it was a potent explosion capable of incinerating the entire city, giving me ungodly amount of power. I set it off. Everything turned white, then red. Metal turned to liquid, magical dust flew everywhere and I could fly, and I flew over the entire eastern side, burning everything to a crisp first and foremost. While the explosions made it look like it was deliberate. Aster was alive, but barely hanging on. The smoke was getting to him, but he was waiting for me in ashes of the labs, where the ruins weren't ablaze and the smoke was bearable. I saw an incoming ducky, a giant species of duck that served as a sort of carrier, and I knew Aster was saved. I hid, and I watched that duck go over whatever wasn't ablaze, roaming the ashes and magical dust that had spread out everywhere. Magical dust is impossible to burn. It wasn't until the duck left with Aster that I continued my job and left the eastern monster empire in ash and dust. I did save several farming families that lived outside the city, and with whatever was left of my magical enchantment, I used it to get them to safety. The dome explosion left me glowing with magical power for days.

From there, well... it's down in history. Grillby, the ghost tribe, and I went underground. _Gaster_ fiddled with Segoe's experiments, he attended to you, my Flynn, and you slept so peacefully in that bed. I watched as years passed by and you changed, younger, and younger, until you were just a baby. You were so tiny. I was so scared, and Gaster was working hard in secret, trying to figure out why your illness wouldn't disappear. As it turns out... My powers were the culprit. This mist, is a modified version of the smoke that some monsters produce naturally. It was enhanced, a double edged sword. It was the reason why countless monsters died in Segoe's attempts to recreate me. No one was meant to live with it, but I survived. As it turned out, my illness that had endangered my life back when I was a little girl, was what saved me. It somehow mutated the strain of whatever this mist is. You had a small part of me, but it wasn't enough. I underwent trials with you as you slept, and finally, after long trying, it worked. You were cured, but your misty powers are dormant now. You're a regular flamesman now. When you woke up, you were a baby, acted like a baby. One of the side effects of the rejuvenation medicine was permanent memory loss, but I'm sure you wanted that. You wanted to forget the life I introduced you to. It was better this way. And to cement your new life, I just... you liked the nickname Grillby. You were the grill master in your little snack hut."

Steamy looked at the three children who looked at her in awe, a smile on her face as Grillby looked at her with a pleasant expression. He wasn't mad, or resentful or... anything bad. He was happy, and his little hands on hers felt great. She had redeemed herself. She got up grabbed the platter. "I haven't forgotten. I will make you all the greatest _tea-brunch-buffet_ ," she winked, walking to the door which had opened using her mist, walking out and closing the door behind her.

Chara crossed her arms. "...I'm still mad at her." she whispered, feeling embarrassed about how she had fumbled up her words earlier and said 'tea-brunch-buffet'. Grillby looked on both sides, feeling a certain tension between Chara and Sans. "Well, I'll start. I'd like uh... a cup of jasmine tea and shortbread, if you would, my dearest, Miss Chara?"

A bright blush emanated from Chara who had suddenly jolted and turned to Grillby with astounded eyes. Sans stared at Grillby with a sort of 'are you freakin' kidding me' expression painted on his skull. Grillby shrugged. "I for one, enjoy tea parties. My biggest competitor is a spider who runs a bakery of sorts-she has quite a taste might I say. She came in once to my bar and we enjoyed a bit of her baking and some of my greasy foods together. Nothing romantic, I assure you, it was a simple truce. That and I developed a love for tea somewhere. Boil that water to a certain sweet spot, and you've got yourself the best darn tea. But enough staring at me, can we get this tea party going?"

Sans laughed as he nodded, getting up from his seat. "gee grillbz, that kids' voice doesn't **suit** you." Grillby expression relaxed into an 'are you serious?' expression, looking over his kiddie shirt and shorts. Certainly not his formal attire.

Chara stretched her long arms, moving her once damaged hand. "Sans, go get the ingredients and stuff. I'll set up the table. A traditional tea table needs... a good cloth! And good plates, and decor...! We meet up back here in half an hour, sharp! GO!"

Sans winced as Chara shouted go, while Grillby smiled with her enthusiasm. "You heard her, Sans. I'll just sit back and digest everything I learned today, alright?"

Sans nodded solemnly, turning and leaving the room. A lone Grillby sat there on the sofa, looking at the piano and the bookcases on the wall. A large chandelier hung in the middle of the room, unlit, and Grillby looked at the door. It was closed. His mist powers were dormant, huh?

"I'd hate to put you in the negative, but now I understand a few things about it. A lethal mist... that can shroud people and either keep them safe or harm them..."

His eyes narrowed as his hand reached for the chandelier. A weak flame curled around his finger, circling around it until the flame gave out and turned to smoke. A faintly black smoke slowly began to circle around, slowly inching forward until it gave out about a meter away. With a smirk engraved on his face, the flamesboy used his hands as 'guns' and he got tiny balls of fire that lit the chandelier. He got up and moved the dark back curtains so that the room was dimly lit by the light outside, but toned just right inside by the chandelier. He went back into the sofa and sat down, waiting a few minutes before going to Asriel's room to get a few costume props. He was sure they had their cowboy getup from their last slumber party with Asriel...

*********°*********•*********°*********

The noise coming from inside the room made Asriel's tummy swirl with anxiety. The nightmare persisted last night, and Chara wasn't there. She wasn't there for him to cuddle with, instead she was cuddling with Steamy who held her in a tight embrace and whispered in her ear. Sans was sleeping in the arms of his mother. His parents were also sleeping in a warm embrace, and even scary Mr. Gaster was sleeping beside a small bundle. He didn't wanna sleep with Grillby either so...

He breathed in, holding the air as he turned the knob and went inside. "A t-tea p-p-party?" stuttered Asriel as he closed the door behind him, slowly walking to the small coffee table that was set up in middle of the room, right underneath the chandelier. There was an extra cushion which was green colored, and Chara's back stiffened as she pointed to the cushion. "Please Mr. Asriel, sit down and enjoy a marvelous cup of... ugh, I mean, seriously Sans? You had one job."

Sans grinned as he laughed, watching as Asriel seemed nervous. Grillby cleared his throat. "Miss Chara, let's not break character, shall we? I worked hard to create this, uh... marvelous tea and pie."

The young goat sat down, looking at the neatly set up silverware and plates. On the sofa was the fine china and silverware, while on the coffee table was the lesser versions, full of water dipped in grass and dirt on a plate.

Asriel smiled nervously, watching as Chara poured his tea cup with clumps of grass and water. "Would you like some delicious mudpie?" asked Chara, fluttering her eyes with a smile. Instantly, Asriel froze and he managed to shake his head. "Oh, come now! Don't be coy, _I insist_." She forced a smile and cut up a portion of mud, pouring it on his plate. "I mean, this is right up your alley, isn't it Mr. Asriel?" asked Chara, trying to sound refine as she sipped on her cup of grasstea. She tried to hide her disgust, to no avail.

The goat looked down, his cheeks burning as he tried to hide his face. Oh god. Maybe this wasn't a good idea? Was she still mad at him? Perhaps Steamy was wrong, maybe Chara was still super-duper mad at him...

"Hey, Mr. Asriel, let's get down to business. You've been invited to this very important meeting to discuss trade. An invitation of friendship, in exchange of a delicious brunch when that clock strikes noon." Chara spoke in her haughty tone, her eyes shining as his met hers. A smile spread on her face, and he immediately lit up. A brunch at noon? Oh right! Steamy was making a bunch of food, and he was helping her...

"Y-yes Miss Chara, Miss! I uh, the Great and Powerful Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of Chaos and God of Hyperdeath, have set up an important shipment, but uh, only if, um, uhh, only if..." Asriel's words trailed off, his eyes moving to Sans who looked to be asleep and Grillby stuck out his tongue as the cup of tea left his mouth. Grillby was dressed in his banker costume from their last slumber party. He wore a white blouse with brown slacks and an overall with a pocket watch. To his side, Sans wore a cowboy costume complete with the cowboy hat which was sitting to his side. He wore a long cowboy coat and black slacks with a sky blue blouse.

Chara crossed her arms, a gentle chuckle catching his attention. She looked beautiful under the lighting of the chandelier, her red eyes burning into him and her lips colored red. Now that he noticed, she was wearing a dress his mother had made for her. She had always hated it, never wore after wearing it for their mother to please her. Something about the dress seemed different. Maybe it was the huge thing around the neck, it made her look like a... like a vampire duchess, or something like that! Like in those wild human stories of ancient monsters. Her dress was red and yellow, with black seams and lace. The delta rune hid somewhere in the skirt, and the puffy shoulders against her pale skin really made her face stand out. And her short hair, it looked styled, and a yellow flower hung from her ear. Huh. Maybe that's why he hadn't noticed her drastic change in attire.

"...Earth to Mr. Asriel? Mr. Grillby? Could you both stop staring at me like I'm some doll?" she snapped, her fingers on both hands snapping in the general direction of both boys who had dozed off. Sans opened an eye socket, noticing the huge blush on the two boys. Geeze. Ask him, she looked like _Count Deathula_ , cripes. "...yeah, an evil _possessive_ doll." Sans mumbled, closing his eye socket once more. He could hear her sudden inhale and exhale. She was mad, surely.

"Why _I never_!" Chara dramatically said, grabbing a tissue and swinging it around her face.

Grillby was the first to speak. "Why, I apologize for both Mr. Asriel and I. We were hypnotized by your surreal beauty. I for one am willing to let my world famous artist play after the trade is done at noon. We shall have the best piano music and a wonderful voice to go with it while we feast, I assure you, or I'm not Grill Master Grillby." he winked, noticing that Asriel's red face had somehow gotten a darker shade of red. Chara waved the tissue on her face like a fan as she tried to look casual, but the flattery by Grillby was certainly getting to her. Gee, Grillby spoke so... eloquent sometimes.

"I uh, apolo-apolo-apologeese too! Y-y-you were-are! Y-you are super pretty and stuff, and uh, um, uhh I-I-I would love more tea!" Squealed Asriel, drinking his cup in one big gulp and setting down the cup hard against the tea plate. The goat's hand trembled and his breath was shaky was he watched the calm, but flustered Chara pour him more grass tea as careful and as attentive as it were real tea. She had never poured his play tea like that. In fact, she had never dressed up, or set up such a fancy tea party... Was it because of Grillby?! No way. Why? Why was she acting so... differently? At the back of his mind, the nightmares tugged at him, but he simply shook his head. Bad dreams. Bad dreams, go away. Flowers... yellow flower...

"What's the matter, Mr. Asriel?" asked Chara, noticing how he suddenly relaxed when his eyes met hers. "N-nothing! Thank you, Miss Chara!" he bowed his head, sipping his drink. She smiled and her finger circled his snout before poking it and sitting back on her cushion. He took another sip full of grass, chewing on it. It was good grass too.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The clock struck noon, and Sans got up from his cushion. He grabbed the hat that was beside him and he put it on, his long coat reaching the backs of his ankles. "its high noon, _countess_ chara, or should i say, deathula! here to suck the blood of an innocent goat mister too hypnotized by your vampire powers! come hunter grillby!"

Chara looked unfazed, blinking as she looked at Grillby who looked surprised. "Uh, what? I mean... Oh, no, I'm sorry my dear friend and hunter, Sans! I fell for her power of seduction, how unfortunate! That means you uh, have to have some sort of epic duel at high noon, oh no, oh gasp, oh goodness... _warn me next time_ ," he faked dramatically, muttering under his breath the last part of his statement. Asriel smiled, looking at Chara who simply stood up without using her hands or arms. So elegant. "You wish to duel me, a vampire? I guess that means I can _bite_ you. If I bite you, you're mine." she grinned, watching as the smile disappeared from Sans' expression. "now, hold on a minute. i'm a skeleton, i'm immune." he retorted, but Chara shook her head. "You're undead, you have teeth. You eat and drink, it totally works on you too. I'm a human, I know better," she winked with wicked smile that sent shivers down his spine. Ay, what did he get himself into.

Grillby turned to the door, noticing a shadow underneath, which was probably Steamy with the food. Waiting for the duel to be over, to be sure.

Chara stood tall, watching as Sans circled her. "you're wearing a dress. this will be easy." he taunted, but her smile threatened him. "Of course it will be. Now, where do you prefer I bite you? Maybe..."

Asriel fell from his cushion and Sans looked around him, his ribcage stinging from her sudden sucker punch. He could feel her fingers against the collar bone, and her hot breath on his neck. "...here?" she asked, her mouth wide open and about to bite down on his neck bones but he finally snapped out of it and got away. He stared at her with bewildered eyes. "gee, w-what are you trying to do, _bite me to death_?! i'm kidding around!" he questioned with a bit of outrage, but she sprinted towards him again.

Grillby looked at the Asriel's look of surprise. "Oh, Chara made a rule about not breaking character. So everything we say and do, its canon in our version of 'Black Market Tea Party'. Everything went well until Sans went crazy trying to make it 'interesting' I guess. Knowing her, I wouldn't want to improvise against her."

Their chase lasted for several minutes, and Sans had Chara right where he wanted her. She was trapped in the corner of the room and he held a small garden shovel which was the stake. "Say goodbye, countess deathula!" Sans grinned, knowing it would end this charade. It was over. Tea party with Chara was over.

Just as he was about to fake strike Chara, a small ball of flame hit his coat. He turned and looked at Grillby who grinned. "Not my dearest Countess Chara! I am sorry friend, I will not kill you, but I will if you try to kill her."

Asriel sat up and nodded. "T-That's right! The great and powerful Prince of Chaos and God of Hyperdeath will come to her aid too!"

Sans looked at the monsters, not knowing why on earth Grillby was suddenly so buddy-buddy with the witch, but it sorta sickened him. Gee, did he forget that she almost killed everyone?

With that, the door opened and Steamy came inside with a small cart of delicious treats. "The goods have arrived! Congratulations on your absolute victory, Miss Chara." Steamy smiled, turning to walk away when Grillby went up to her and whispered a few words to her.

Asriel got up from his seat, watching as Chara hurried over and put away all the dirty dishes. She was so careful, so dedicated with this. She gently set all the fine china, careful to not move certain things far in or out. She wanted it to be perfect. He watched her, how she placed each plate, each fork, each knife, everything calculated by an invisible line she created in her mind. It was as if she had been trained to do this so masterfully.

"You're finally going to enjoy a real tea party, aren't you?" asked Steamy, tilting her head as she noticed the smile that crept unto Chara's face. Sans seemed puzzled by her words. Really? She had one of these things with Asriel all the time. Looking over to the fluffy boy, he noticed he looked astounded by the way she worked. Huh. Perhaps not this kind of tea party.

When she finished, she stared at the table and beauty of it. The way the silver shined underneath the light, the gleam on the knives and forks, even the butter seemed so fragile and perfect. Butter in the shape of roses... Rose went far and beyond what she asked for. It was so pretty, so perfect, it was... everything she hoped for. The soft bread, the smell of fresh marmalade, the different kinds of juices in substitution of wine...

"...I forgive you, Rose." She whispered, looking up and noticing that she walked over to the piano. Chara sat down on her cushion, her hand grasping her golden locket. So... this was what it felt like to sit down on a nice table of food. Her hand reached for her yellow flower, lightly touching it before she straightened out her back and cleared her throat. "Gentle monsters, please sit down. Although Mr. Sansy tried to kill me by rudely interrupting our gathering, I'm pleased to announce we are back on schedule. Please, Miss _Steamy_ , play music for us while we dine."

Sans rolled his eyes, her haughty voice just so annoying. The background music was nice though. He felt so... alone on that table. So far off, while the three other kids talked and laughed amongst themselves. What the heck was wrong with him? What the heck was wrong with Grillby? And Steamy? A serial murderer was sitting down conversing like some sort of civil human and...

Grillby's hand gently landed on Sans' shoulders. "Lighten up ol' chap. It's a tea _party_." He smiled before returning to whatever they were talking about. Sans just looked at him, wondering how he could smile and laugh after everything today and yesterday. This wasn't normal. This wasn't something he could just shrug off. Steamy was dead. Asriel was dead. Chara should be dead. This world exists in another dimension, and they were screwing with it because Chara wanted to. Was he the only one that understood that? Sans couldn't stand to watch Chara acting as if she deserved any of this. After eating and drinking his share of food to fill him, Sans silently got up and left the room.

Beside him, Grillby glanced at him, shaking his head. Sans had a weird way of expressing himself. Enjoy yourself, don't enjoy yourself, wow, Sans. Bless his sister for putting up with him when they dated.

Chara didn't seem to pay much mind to his leaving, rather, she continued to glow with attention and smiles. To her right side, Asriel's droppy eyes fixated on her and he seemed to have finally relaxed and let himself go with the flow. Every now and then, a gentle rolling of his laughter erupted in his goat laugh, which Grillby thought he might have been self-conscious about, but Chara only laughed when he did. Perhaps he picked on it and started doing it more often.

Perhaps this really was the first time Chara let herself go as a kid. Certainly no memory of her softening up or acting like an actual girl came to mind, just cuddling with Asriel when it seemed mutually beneficial. Perhaps she was no Steamy, a bit rougher around the edges and tough to get along with, but he could certainly see a small glimmer of hope in that she could change. Steamy seemed to hope so. Speaking of which, did she even get any sleep last night? Man, he really missed out last night, but he was dreadfully sleepy.

A little over two hours later, Chara got up from her seat. She seemed content. "Gentle monsters, I would like to thank you for attending my tea party. Although the guy who suggested left early, it was still, quite the party. Now if you will excuse me, I will change and end my character as Miss Chara."

True to her word, she walked out of the room with her head up high and her movement graceful as the character she had portrayed. When the door closed, Asriel slumped down and let his back fall back onto the floor. "That was the weirdest, most awesome tea party. Hey, do you think we have leftover grasstea?" he asked, getting up and scurrying over to the remnants of the prior play party. Steamy who had gotten up from the piano had walked over to the window, and her sudden gasp caught Grillby's attention. "Hm? What's wrong?" he asked with a yawn, feeling quite stuffed from the food. She turned and looked at Grillby with a certain fear in her eyes. "Gaster brought Rex. He went to the labs, he didn't trust me." she spoke with a great haste in her tone as she got away from the window. "I erased the video footage, cleaned up any traces that I could, but he didn't believe me. He must've gone through the videos and seen that I erased it, he knows something is up. That ghoul is his parent's son, once you get on the wrong side he gets on your case. I know what he's capable of." she spoke, glancing at Asriel who chewed on the grass of the tea, looking quite oblivious as to whatever was going on.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sometime later, Asriel found himself next to Chara tending to their flowers while the other boys played with Rex. She seemed to be oddly fixated on the venomous flower, her head turning to him. "If our roles were reversed, would you offer your SOUL to save the underground?" she asked in a low voice as she cut the flower at the base with a pair of scissors. The goat quickly nodded, his hands tending to the green herbs growing around the yellow pack of flowers. His snout smelt the herbs thoroughly, his calloused hands gently separating the different plants. "Chara, um... would you abandon me if I turned into a flower?" he asked casually enough, continuing to tend to the herbs. The girl turned to him with a look of horror, her hands quickly grabbing his head and turning it to her. "Where did you get that idea?" she asked, her scarlet eyes piercing through his blue. The Goat turned red, looking around nervously. "I've been having nightmares, Chara! I turn into a flower and no body helps me... not even you."

Chara let go and backed off, turning back to her flowers as she continued to cut her patch. "I don't know Asriel, that depends on whether you backstab me before or after," her shaky breathed spoke, feeling his eyes burn unto her back light a weight of what her sins were. What was this feeling? No, this was just a victory lap, there was no regrets, no petty feelings.

When the feeling lifted off her back, she realized Asriel had gone to play with Rex as well. When she finished making her bouquet of deadly flowers, she turned back and watched the boys play around with that naive dog. Trying to wrestle with it, it seemed. She had a feeling that Sans was just bidding his time in this place until she ran into a SAVE spot so he could return with his mission to save Frisk. Surely he had spent his time with his mother or father before he went batshit scary. Even so, during her stay here she realized how different Grillby seemed to be, and she even made up with Rose. Well, Rose was dead, so that meant she just needed to make Grillby's death quick and easy. Or perhaps he had it in him to serve as some sort of evil henchman. Hm. An evil flower though? That seemed a bit excessive, and Asriel wasn't that much of a help either, not when he keeps pretending to be some sort of super mega evil flower of death. No, she could see past that facade.

A sudden rush of cold wind had her shiver, and her head looked up with horror as she stared at the empty eyes of Dr. Gaster. "You would do well to keep your mouth shut and follow me." he spoke with a certain authority. She shook her head, beginning to get up when suddenly the black coat he wore seemed to glitch. Oh _hell_ no. Before she could scream and run away, a black ooze grabbed her ankles, dragging her down into the earth. She could feel the black mist roll around her body, paralyzing her with either some sort of power or fear. She watched as he stepped in front of her casually making it look like she vanished into thin air behind him. How long would it take for them to realize she was gone?

Her vision had gone black, and when she opened her eyes, she was back at the labs, in front of the elevator. The doors to the elevator glitched, and soon a black blob began to take form into Gaster. "Do you think I wouldn't have figured out this world? Sure, I was stumped at first, but now I understand. This is another timeline, another world where I still exist. I woke up with my dearest Ariel beside me, do you know how long I wished this to come true, demon?" he asked with maddened eyes, his smile twitching. "I know the elevator is some kind of power house, a portal of some sorts. You're the key to activating it, aren't you? Like Frisk, a SAVE point, isn't it?" he asked as he tilted his head, his coat expanding in whatever black clouds he wielded.

Chara quickly backed her body towards the elevator, her eyes wide. "W-what are you going to do? I control this place!" she threatened, noticing that his coat had begun to glitch between sinister and a regular coat. He couldn't control his powers.

Gaster slowly walked towards her, his hand on his jaw, soon covering half of his face as his head fell and he laughed. "Your mistake was letting anything around Sans transfer over to this timeline. I was beside him. I don't exist, your time jump couldn't figure out what I was. Spent a bit of time at the labs, put a little DT inside of me, just enough to realize that if I were to inject myself with more DT, the more my body returns to what it used to be in the void. I can still reserve this, I can still be who I was, but after I'm done with you."

Chara's back against the elevator continued to push back, her hands slapping the elevator buttons as she fell back and crawled back to the end of the elevator. What was she to do against him? She could go back, think on a strategy and defeat him somehow, or...

Gaster walked into the elevator with a calmness to his face. "I'm going to destroy your body. If you don't exist, there's no way we can leave this world." his husky voice spoke, his eyes darkening as a wicked smile began to paint itself on his smooth face.

Chara could feel herself get lighter, a bright flash of light engulfing her.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Up next. . .

 **Late Night with Grillby and Sans**

Special Guest Star: The talented, the human, **Frisk**!

Surprise guests! Musical numbers!

Brought to you by: **Grillby's**

 **Grillby's:** Greasy food, _with class_ ;)

/*/*/Jazzy tune mentioned by Frisk is, After Hours by Ronny Jordan. Song that blends and continues from there is Its Raining Somewhere Else by Toby Fox. Time after Time- Cyndi Lauper is referenced once more. Dreaming of You- Selena is also sung. Drop Pop Candy and Tokyo Teddy Bear mentioned and credited later on./*/*/

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans opened his eyes, landing with a loud 'thud' on the dark ground. It was a pretty hard fall, and the skeleton remained knocked out for several hours. When he came to, his vision was fuzzy and the side of his skull had a very slight crack to it. "w-what? it's over? finally, but... that means chara saved somewhere. well, it can't be that bad." he spoke to himself as he dusted his shorts and blue jacket. He looked around and realized the set was dark, and Frisk was nowhere to be seen. For all he knew, he just fell down a few seconds ago. Was he too late? Impossible, the timeline would have gone back... wait. But what if he was in another timeline while this timeline went back to an old save? How did that work?

Without losing another second, the skeleton began to jog down the path, following in where Frisk would have gone if she survived whatever Alphys had set up. The puzzles were done, monsters had seen her, so everything was good. Damn, how long had he been away? He continued ahead, scouting the areas and seeing a few monsters who had begun to tell him they hadn't seen the human, so she didn't pass through there. Hmm. Was it possible she took the elevators?

He silently walked to the elevators, his hands in the pockets of his jacket when his cell phone began to ring. Two missed calls, from Grillbz.

"Sans? Finally, what happened? You just disappeared, no one knew where you were. Are you alright?" asked Grillby on the other line. Sans winced as his hand gently felt the slight crack on his temple. "uh, i think so. i guess you can say i just **fell** asleep." he replied, walking into the elevator. "where's frisk? what happened while i was asleep?" he asked, waiting before pressing any buttons. "Hm? Oh, you don't know? Frisk beat Mettaton, then came back home with Papyrus who was looking for you. The poor thing has blisters all over her feet, she's actually in my bar right now."

Without another word, Sans smiled and warped himself to the back of Grillby's bar, hanging up on Grillby. He casually walked to the front door, breathing in before opening the door. Why was Papyrus looking for him?

When he came inside, the normally bustling bar was empty, and only Papyrus, Grillby, Undyne and Frisk were there. He smiled nervously, feeling the staggering stares. He walked a few steps before suddenly Undyne threw a spear in front of the door, making it seem as though he had no escape. "huh, uh, this seems **fishy**." he chuckled, trying to seem cool, but Undyne growled. "Where WERE YOU?! Frisk was trying to FIND you! Papyrus had to carry her away when her feet started bleeding, you bonehead!"

Grillby stood in back, trying to appear as though he was polishing his glassware. Even so, he joined in. "You know; you could at least talk to them. They worry too." he spoke softly, looking up and winking before returning to his glassware.

Frisk sat on the counter, swinging her feet as she looked up to see him, looking as though she were in trouble. Papyrus stood tall with his arms on his hips. "WE KNOW ABOUT YOUR ILLEGAL HOT DOG STAND! WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO AT NIGHT, HMM? FRISK WAS PRETTY DETERMINED TO FIND OUT, AND IT ISN'T SELLING HOT DOGS! SHE INVESTIGATED, SO I PROMOTED HER TO JUNIOR DETECTIVE."

Sans stared at Papyrus, wondering what it was they wanted to hear. He couldn't tell them about everything, no, Papyrus would... who knows, but he couldn't tell them.

Undyne narrowed her eyes, stomping towards Sans and hitting his head with the back of her knuckles before walking out of the bar, taking her spear with her.

The little girl winced when she saw Undyne hit Sans, even though it wasn't too hard. "I'm sorry." she whispered, looking down and staring at her bandaged feet. Her ballerina shoes were ruined, they had holes and blood from her popped blisters all over the bottom.

"AWW HUMAN, DO NOT WORRY! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT MAD AT YOU, A-AND I'LL WASH THOSE TINY SHOES QUICK SO YOU CAN ADVENTURE TOMORROW. P-PLEASE DON'T CRY?" he asked, bending down so that he could lift her chin. She smiled and nodded, but she still seemed uneasy.

Sans walked towards them, noticing the shoes that hung from the counter next to Frisk. Wow, she really did outdo herself. "hey paps, why don't you go start on the shoes? grillbz and i will cheer her up, no problem. i'll uh... even tell her why i've been missing." he winked, noticing how her spirits lifted instantly.

Papyrus looked at Sans. "WILL YOU TELL ME TOO?" he asked, noticing how Sans' face twitched for a second. That was a negative, it seems, knowing him. "uh, yeah paps. go, home, we'll catch up later."

After Papyrus left the bar, Sans sat in his usual chair, his right hand brushing against the small thin crack. Frisk looked at him, her small hand gently over his as she inspected the crack with a look of concern. "hm? this? i **fell** asleep after workin' so many shifts. i heard the ladies like scars," he winked with a slight chuckle but Frisk only pouted. "its fine, it'll disappear if i heal it soon, or i could just let it sit there and keep it, i'unno." shrugged Sans, his eyes watching as Grillby bent down and got two mason jar mugs.

"You know Frisk, the underground has been raving about you. You're a celebrity now, how do you feel about that?" asked Grillby, filling one of the jars with ketchup labeled 'mild special' and the other soda and bit of cherry syrup to give it a hint of color. Before Frisk could answer, Sans' back bolted up and he grinned. "wait, wait a darn moment! that's it! we'll interview her, you know, like the celebrity she is. here, let me go set up my phone."

Frisk's head fell to the side, confused by what was happening. "Are serious? Wait, are you the one leaking videos of Frisk on the monster net?" asked Grillby, turning back to a mini fridge and taking out two burgers with fries. He always had spares in case Sans showed up.

Sans looked at the front portion of the bar, trying to figure out where his smart phone could go. Behind him, a ghost appeared. "I'm back Papyrus... uh.." it spoke, looking around and looking at Frisk with a confused expression. "Blooky!" she exclaimed, holding out her arms.

"perfect, you can be the camera person! here, its recording already, just... go with it, take good shots. alright, hey guys and girl monsters out there, my name is sans, sans the skeleton. my good friend grillbz was so kind enough to sponsor his bar for tonight's super mega ultra, once in a life time, interview with the **sansational** human, frisk!"

Frisk looked around the bar, hearing a 'ba dum, tss', along with a jazzy song. Sans turned back with a puzzled look. "uh... grillbz, what happened to our usual song?" he asked, walking back to the counter and sitting on his seat. The flame monster's hands hovered over the burger, the meat slowly sponging up and sizzling. "That ol' song? Sure, we made it together, but it's your song, **you** use it all the time. If we're really going to be in front of a public audience, I want my bar seem classier than that. **Grillby's,** Greasy food, with _class_." he chuckled with a wink, the two plates hot and sizzling with flavor.

Napsta stared at the three who had begun to laugh simultaneously. This seemed fun. The flaming man scratched the back of his neck as he addressed the camera. "Hello there and welcome to... Late Night with Grillby and Sans! I'm your host, Grillby, and," he spoke, turning to sans gave a lazy smile and wave. "sans the skeleton."

Frisk clapped, her head looking around the bar as she heard a drum roll and the hissing of a drum's cymbals. It really did seem like a show!

Grillby dimmed the lights to the front of the bar, so low it was as if they were turned off, then brightened the area around them so that the lighting was better. "Miss Frisk the Human everyone! Give it up for the kid who sings, dances and captivates the hearts of monsters everywhere!" he introduced her, his hands motioning the camera to turn to her. "Frisk, how does it feel to be a celebrity?" he added, leaning unto the counter.

A blush began to appear on her cheeks, her brown eyes turning to Napsta and the phone in his hands that recorded everything. "Um... normal. I mean, I still meet monsters who want to fight at first, but, I always try to befriend them. It's what my momma wanted." she replied, her hands playing with the frills of her old tutu. "...I had another dream, they kept calling me flower. My brother Fernando said he would be my manager, but, he's not here isn't he..."

Slowly, the background music began to blend into another version of Sans' song that Grillby had heard before. Frisk looked towards a nearby candle, watching the small flame dance while she continued to speak. "But it's okay. I have you guys. Today, I almost felt like giving up. I really want to stay here with you all, but I have to find my papa."

Grillby looked over towards Sans, noticing the way his eyes seemed so conflicted. They all wanted her to stay here, but, this was her fate, right? After joining in on this crazy journey with Sans, Grillby had realized that there wasn't much he could do, but support little Frisk and hope that she would be able to stop Chara somehow, perhaps with her good heart. Or perhaps Sans would find another way, through science although to be quite frank, Grillby hated the idea of meddling with science considering how harmful it's been thus far. Explosions? Time travel? Secret experiments?

Realizing that the room's only source of noise was the soft background music, Grillby pressed on. "I'm sure monsters wonder about you. Tell us more about you, your background, your hobbies, and interests," he asked with a smile, watching as she laughed.

"W-well... I come from the surface! Um... I fell down, and, I just, kinda forget a few things about me, but I remember sometimes through dreams. Today I had a dream, and I remember I lived in this super big house! It looked really old, and my mama was cleaning the spiderwebs and dust off the walls and fan. I don't know why, but she was doing that, and we were listening to this super catchy song and I was dancing with my big bro, and we were all singing the song in english." She finally paused, her eyes big and her smile contagious. Grillby could see that she was excited to tell her story, so excited she spoke without pausing unless she ran out air. "My big bro's name is Fernando, and he's cool just like my Uncle Juju! I really wanted to be just like them when I grew up, hehe! Super cool with glasses and uniforms, while singing and dancing all over the world! And my biggest fan would be Juandisimo!" She spoke, her eyes shimmering almost as though they were stars, her smile wide until it dropped and she looked confused. "Juandisimo? Who is he? Hm... maybe it's the cute boy with green eyes," she said to herself, blushing as she let out a girlish laugh. She covered her cheeks, looking away from the camera, her body moving from side to side as she let out a soft squeal.

"ah, a lover, eh? **juicy** info." joked Sans before taking a big bite out of his burger, grease falling down as the swirl of delicious flavor drifted into the air. Grillby's hand briefly planted itself on his forehead as he shook his head. Even in public air, he continued to **spill** puns. "Well don't just leave us hanging, tell us more about your dream." Grillby asked, once more leaning unto the counter.

"O-okay. So, we were in big house, and... and this creepy old lady came in-Opps! I mean my grandmother, my abuelita came in. They were talking, and I just kept singing. I didn't really understand what they were talking about. About me, about deals and-OH! So my big bro worked as the same thing my Uncle Juju and Papa did, which was, well, I dunno, but something about making deals with other families and shipping goods, but my mama didn't like it because we had to move later up north where they spoke nothing but English because of whatever they did. I really don't understand. But my big bro told me he was going to finish up two jobs and then he was going to be my manager. Then he took me to my dancing classes, and when we got there, I saw what I think were my friends, and there was this super, super, _super_ cute boy in karate clothes, and he kept smiling and looking at me and I got _so_ nervous." She once more paused, her giddy behavior coming to a stop as she thought about her next few words. "Then my big bro caught up. Everyone acted so weird, they were scared of him. Everyone just, walked away from us. Well, that boy didn't have his parents with him so he walked off because he had class, but he smiled at me before he left. And... that was my dream. I just remember singing this song..."

Napsta looked away from he camera view and watched in person as Frisk began to sway her body, humming a song before laughing and adding words to it.

"If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting

Time after time.

...Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after..."

Her voice trailed off into a whisper, looking up and noticing the shock in Sans' eye sockets. Inside of his skull, he failed to grasp the idea that his words etched into her mind and somehow resurfaced a memory she had long forgotten about. He didn't even know 'Time after Time' was some sort of human song she had associated with her life, although to be precise, he could summarize her time in the underground with such a phrase. Every time the timeline resets, they go through the same dance, the same routine, with only her actions changing everything. He was always waiting for her at the end of the Judgement Hall, which was never actually a Judgement Hall, but just a regular hall which came to be dubbed the Judgement Hall after all these resets.

The ghost could see something was wrong with Sans, so instead he took out the cassette he had fixed, along with the cassette player he brought just like he had told Papyrus earlier today. That's why he had showed up to begin with. "Hey Frisk, I have a surprise for you, I think. Papyrus asked me to fix it for you, I hope you like it. It's a cassette."

Frisk watched as a cassette player slowly floated towards her, held by a ghostly glow and landing on the counter between her and Sans. She looked at her skeletal friend and realized he seemed even more confused. This really wasn't planned then...

She took a deep breath and pressed the 'Play' button. Her eyebrows furrowed as her smile grew, realizing this voice sounded so familiar. "This... this is mama. I m-m-mean, she loved this lady. I don't remember who this lady is, but, her voice is so familiar. This is the cassette I had, right? I know its silly, but... I forgot why it was so important, but I just knew it was." Frisk explained, her eyes blinking as little painful stings bothered her. Quick flashbacks came to her mind.

 _A woman dressed in a long, flowered skirt and frilly blouse that exposed her shoulders. Flat dancing shoes hitting the floor, her skirt going up and down, ankles exposed and flying through the air. Moving hips, swaying shoulders and long ponytail full of dark brown hair, just moving across the empty space around her._

Grillby didn't know whether Frisk was entering a catatonic state or something, but Sans didn't look too hot either. The song had ended a second ago, and now a new one had started, with what sounded like a beautiful piano intro. Too beautiful, it almost made Grillby back away because of how it reminded him of the lost sister he had met earlier today. The voice in the cassette began to sing once more, just as beautiful, and he could see that it brought Sans out of his state, and Frisk had finally moved. "Mama... this was their song," she whispered, tears once again brimming as she covered her mouth. "My mama and papa fell in love, and this was their song. She told me her papa was against it, but that she ran away with him. I remember..." she whispered, leaning towards the cassette player which continued to play.

Sans listened to the girly song, realizing that this was Florencia they were talking about, as well as Frisks' dad. Something bad happened, and this song seemed so... weird. It didn't fit the description of the situation at hand. He looked at the kid, realizing she was mouthing out the lyrics to the song as if she knew it by heart, her eyes clouded with tears that would not budge. A song that talked about dreaming of someone-Ironic knowing that Frisk was going through just that. He glanced over at Napstablook who seemed to be jamming to the music, his ghostly face looking up when Frisk had begun to verbally sing the lyrics with a certain accent to it, slowly as if her memory of the lyrics were a bit fuzzy.

"I just wanna hold you close

But so far all I have are dreams of you

So I wait for the day

And the courage to say how much I love you

Yes I do!"

As Frisk paused for the next few lines, a quick flashback dazed her. Her smile disappeared and her head hurt a bit. The sound of lightning seemed so fresh in her mind, and the feel of rain pouring over her body felt real. She was crying on the unpaved road, the rocky soil pressed hard against her legs and knees. The smell of fresh rain on the grass filled her nostrils in that moment, and the quick, bright light illuminated a shadow that had stood several feet away from her. A tall man, breathing hard and dressed in a black suit looking over her with dominant eyes and frustration. Perhaps... slight anger and hatred, piercing right through her in that vulnerable moment.

Frisk blinked and looked at Sans, wiping away the tears she had managed to keep inside her eyes. She didn't understand, she wanted to understand what her life used to be. Why did it feel so painful? Why did it make her so emotional? Who _were_ her parents? Why could she remember her brother and uncle, but not her father or mother? She remembered what her mother liked, was like, but her face just... disappeared, and Frisk was sure that she'd forget most of her dream by tomorrow morning, remembering only the memories of what her family members were like, but forgetting their faces.

Another tall shadow loomed over them, walking closer until his red scarf seemed visible. "I GO FOR A MOMENT AND YOU START FILMING A SHOW WITHOUT ME? _RUUUDE_."

Napsta turned the camera to the skeleton, smiling when he realized it was only Papyrus who had returned. He posed for the camera. "HELLO VIEWERS, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT I'M SURE YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT! I AM THE MASTER CHEF IN MAKING SPAGHETTI, AND I WILL JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD, ERR, EVENTUALLY, BUT I WILL JOIN! I'M GLAD YOU FIXED THE CASSETTE NAPSTA! BUT I THINK WE SHOULD LET THE HUMAN LISTEN TO THIS PRIVATELY, IT IS A VERY SPECIAL ITEM TO HER."

Frisk smiled, motioning Papyrus to join beside her. She pressed the 'Stop' button, realizing that Papyrus had a point. This cassette brought out memories of her parents, perhaps? Perhaps that man in the rain, was her papa? He looked scary... was that her papa? The more she tried to remember what he looked like again, the more her head hurt, so she stopped.

"so paps, tell us about frisk. we hear that you're **close** to the human, that you perhaps even dated her," Sans winked towards the camera, his big grin growing bigger when he saw the look of irritation on Papyrus. "S-S-SANS!" He shouted, an orange blush appearing on the white cheekbones of his. Frisk blushed, her hands covering her cheeks as she once again got giddy. Her feet began to swing, and her shoulders moved from side to side, a classic Frisk sign that she was being bashful.

Papyrus looked at the camera then glanced at Frisk who continued to give off a goofy smile. "F-FINE, BUT YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE, MISTER! YES, THE HUMAN AND I WENT ON A DATE BUT WE BOTH DECIDED ON A STRICTLY PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP."

"but what the viewers want to know, did'ja smooch da girl?"

"S-S-SMOOCH?!" Yelped Papyrus, his orange blush intensifying and turning into a deep red color. To his side, Frisk let out a low squeal as her body moved from side to side faster than her usual bashfulness. "No we didn't smooch! I mean, we regularly kiss goodnight-O-on the head! Papy's like my brother now, he's super-duper sweet and goofy." Frisk explained, letting out a sigh. "He reminds me of this human on the surface too, t-that's why I flirted with Papy at first. Fernando said I'm a big flirt," she added with a laugh, moving a lock of hair to the side.

Napsta could feel the rush of wind behind him, so he turned out, not knowing who else would show up. Undyne stood there with her spear out. "You're filming without me?! You little TURD!" Before anyone could react, the spear flew in the air, Undyne's epic battle music blaring out.

Grillby grabbed Frisk and ducked, stumbling back as the tip of the spear pierced through the counter and stopped a foot away from his face. Frisk had screamed, crawling away from the spear.

"Oh my god... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..." Undyne erupted in sweat, jogging to the counter. Sans' eye sockets were pitch black with a wide grin. "you uh, missed me by an inch there, _buddy_. you had me trembling in **spear**."

Slowly, the music began to distort into another tune. Grillby scrambled to his feet, picking up Frisk and setting her on the counter while staring at Sans. **"Cool** down, buddy, we're on live telly." Sans' beady white returned, and the distorted music ceased. His battle music almost played, he couldn't alarm Frisk with it.

Papyrus grasped Frisk, patting down a small ember that had caught unto Frisk's sweater. Poor sweater. It had a bit of scorch on the backside. Undyne gulped, looking at Grillby who stared back at her with a certain passive-aggressive smile. "Don't fret, I'll put it in your tab, Undyne." His voice a forced pleasantry.

Undyne cringed, making her spear disappear and sitting down beside Papyrus who had motioned her over. "...undyne, everyone! captain of the royal guard, showing everyone why she's a force to be reckoned with! so undyne, care to tell us about your cooking skills?"

Frisk reached for her mason jar, bringing the drink to her lips and tasting the soda and light cherry flavor before it disappeared on her tongue. She could feel the bottom of her feet tingling, slowly healing whatever damage she had incurred. She could see Sans' smile softening and turning genuine from her peripheral vision. She had refused all food and drink out of stubbornness, and perhaps Sans knew, but how? She wiggled her toes.

"My cooking skills? They're average. Cooking comes from the heart! You have to be PASSIONATE! You have to FEEL the fire and the flavors will BURST in your food!" Undyne answered, feeling herself getting a bit excited so she adjusted herself on the seat. "that sounds like good advice, a bit **fishy** that you call your cooking skills average though. from a **scale** of one to ten, how good of a teacher are ya?" asked Sans, noticing that Papyrus grinned. "SHE'S A TEN! MY SPAGHETTI HAS IMPROVED SINCE I BEGAN TAKING CLASSES!"

Undyne laughed, shaking her head. She knew everyone tried Papyrus' spaghetti. "Frisk is the better teacher. She's more patient then me to tell the truth. NOT that I teach Papyrus how to cook of course." she stated, looking at Papyrus who got flustered. "THAT'S RIGHT! UNDYNE INDEED DOES NOT EDUCATE ME IN THE COOKING WAYS OF SPAGHETTI. SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI CORRECTLY, IN FACT, THAT'S WHY HER HOUSE IS ON FIRE." Papyrus tried to cover up innocently enough.

Grillby chuckled. "Good grief, calm down Undyne. People were beginning to ask why your house was fire. Speaking of which, how is it that it's still on fire?" asked Grillby in a calm manner. Undyne's red cheeks slowly turned back to blue as she crossed her arms. How embarrassing. Papyrus just spilled the beans on everything. "I don't know, it's a magical house. My parents lived there, and I just took over. I really don't know how to put out that raging fire, every time I open the door the fire nearly burns me to a crisp. I just gave up on it." she shrugged.

Frisk finished up her soda, placing the mason jar on the counter and jumping off. She winced but her feet felt numb thanks to the drink. "Sans, are you going to tell me?" she asked innocently enough, a yawn following. Behind her, a worried Papyrus looked at Sans while Undyne huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Yeah Sans, tell us."

The short skeleton stared at them, his fake grin plastered on his face but he could see that Frisk saw through his charade. "okay, i guess i'll tell ya. it was a surprise for frisk, since she likes to sing and dance so much. give me a minute and i'll show you."

He jumped off his seat, walking over to the jukebox which had reappeared in its usual place. His back was towards them and the camera, and a few sparks seemed to fly along with the sounds of electricity and metal. Frisk slowly approached, but stopped. "wait a diddly darn moment, its almost done, sheesh kid."

When the skeleton moved away, the jukebox seemed to have a monitor attached by a cord and placed on the top. "it's a karaoke machine now. you can sing and dance at grillby's, free of charge." he winked, bracing himself as Frisk threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his ribcage and her head against his shoulder and collar bone.

"Seriously? That's what you've been doing? All this time?" asked Undyne, jumping off her seat. Papyrus' long legs easily reached the floor, his face etched with disbelief. "you try fixing an ancient piece of human technology. i've been hanging out with grillby all night for a while now, we thought it might cheer her up, before, you know, she faces he-who-must-not-be-named-at-this-time."

Undyne tilted her head, thinking for a moment before realizing he meant King Asgore. Oh. "He won't hurt her... right?" asked Undyne, feeling confident at first but when she saw the way Sans returned the hug, doubt began to cloud her opinion.

Grillby looked at the camera, his arms motioning over towards the jukebox. "Ladies and Gentle monsters, Frisk and Company! Here to debut on her first interview!"

Frisk let go, brushing her lips against Sans' cheek before turning to the jukebox which a few bits and pieces which layers of dust. She got on her tippie toes and looked at the selection, noticing a few song tracks that had no albums. Some of them were pink covers with the silver word, 'Steamy'. It looked so girly. "No way..." whispered Frisk, staring at familiar songs. "I know this one! Jukebox Hero, it's by Foreigner! My brother loved that band! W-wait, this picture looks cool!"

Papyrus slowly walked to the child, picking her up so that she could properly see the selection. Its album looked like cartoons. "This one! Let's sing this one! All of us," grinned Frisk, her feet touching the ground and taking the microphone. "DROP POP CANDY? ARE WE DANCING TOO? NYEEH! OKAY!"

/*/*/If you haven't seen the Drop Pop Candy English Cover by Shutupadachi... its cute./*/*/

Sans watched as Frisk had begun to twirl like a ballerina, his boney finger pressing down on the 'Play' button. He stared at the monitor, his ribcage throbbing with anxiety. Please work.

Sound erupted, words popping on the screen. With a sigh of relief, Sans smiled and turned around, his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. Papyrus had begun to march in place while Frisk jumped from foot to foot, her hand handing the microphone to Sans.

Sans' eye sockets widened, watching as the girl began to push him towards the center of the karaoke machine. Her cheeks were red, probably too shy to sing. With a short sigh, he began to sing, watching as Napsta floated to the corner of the corner where he could record their faces. Frisk danced around him and Papyrus, laughing and encoring Papyrus to sing along. To Sans' surprise, Gaster's AutoType chip worked like magic, even color coding the words as a duet.

Undyne watched from the counter, chuckling as she watched the two brothers horseplay around, but something bothered her. For a moment, Frisk had stopped dancing and had staggered. When she looked up, her eyes looked different, almost glowed red. Huh. Maybe its a human thing.

As the song began to finish, Sans looked over towards Frisk and had to restrain his expression when he realized Chara red glow was in her eyes. The nerve... And yet, Chara continued to dance around like Frisk would, laughing and fluttering her eyes. "You fall down seven more times, I'll be there seven, eight, nine." She sang before turning around and dancing towards the camera.

Papyrus grinned, picking Sans up as the song finished. "THAT WAS AMAZING! WE SHOULD CONSIDER PROFESSIONAL SINGING, BROTHER!" he joked, but noticed that Sans looked a bit aggravated. He seemed to be looking at Frisk who had twirled and ran to jukebox. "This one." she whispered, her hands reaching for pockets and taking out a gold coin.

Sans turned to Grillby, not knowing what he could do. If he freaked out, the _entire_ underground would know. He didn't know where Frisk had last SAVED, for all he knew, he might return to that hell hole of another timeline with Chara. Maybe that was it, maybe she was trying to push his buttons, that's what.

/*/*/ The song I refer to is Tokyo Teddy Bear (English Cover) by JubyPhonic /*/*/

Frisk's voice erupted, along with an electric guitar, Chara controlling her body so that she looked at the camera.

"To my loving mom and dad, I'm sorry and I'm to blame;

Knees weak and crumbling, thumb pressed and bitten away.

To my brother, sister, and the rest, I'll see you around.

My sole is blackening, I'm breaking all of it down!

Yeah!"

Papyrus backed away with Sans in his arms, realizing that she was really projecting some sort of rockstar aura. She wasn't even looking at the screen! WOWIE! Now THAT was a professional! Even her pronunciation got really good! It uh... almost sounded like a different Frisk. And this music, it sounded so... edgy, a bit darker than what he thought Frisk liked.

Sans jumped out of Papyrus arms, taking a step towards the human when she did a 180 degree turn, her hand reaching towards him. "I cried 'Why can't I just be loved?' to no one," she sang, Frisk's face looking fierce and frustrated before she turned once more to the camera. "Maybe grinding my old scissors I could slice the look my off my face." She dramatically swiped her free hand on her face, twirling and rolling her shoulders.

"Send me a sign, some god on high, show me the words I need to know.

So say I'm fine and clear my mind

'Cause why not? I. DON'T. KNOW.

Facing a new day with a new pain, rocking up and down the night.

Ripping at seams, I beg and plead, just sew me up again."

Undyne's hands turned to fists, running towards Frisk with her hands turned to fists. "YEAAAH! PASSION!" she joined in, shaking her head to the beat of the drums. "...Well then..." Grillby breathed out, leaning forward as he watched with interest while Sans boiled over with anger.

Chara glanced at Undyne, smirking as she froze and looked at the camera which Napsta had been moving around to get different angles and to fit the edgy music. "To the world I say goodbye, and sir I'm wishing you well. Pushing out my chest to see me drool through tiresome hell."

Undyne suddenly picked her up as though showing her off like some sort of cute puppy, going along with her dramatization. As the song continued to play and Frisk's uncanny voice sang, Sans and Grillby whispered to each other.

"No doubt about it, Chara holds quite the negative feelings. How does she know the words by heart?" Grillby whispered, continuing to watch while Sans looked at him. "quit it, grillbz. stop encoring her. she's a demon, she'll never change. she's not frisk, she doesn't have any good in 'er." Sans insisted, turning when the guitar changed to a mellow tune.

"There's nothing to find, no, nothing to find, I severed everything I had

Sinking alive through waves of twine, dragging me down alone

I'm nowhere to find, no, nowhere to find, threw me aside and left again

Running away from now a place I'll never call a home!"

Grillby perked up, in his peripheral vision noticing that Sans had winced and flinched.

Napsta watched as Frisk sang the mellow part, noticing in her eyes an actual conflict of emotions and her expression turning to genuine pain. Her usual brown eyes were red? And kinda glowed, but that glow was now blurred by a cloud of tears. In a split second, Frisk's free hand grasped her forehead and hair, her nails digging into her hair.

"Am I alive? Aah SHUT UP! More lies falling out this living mask

Give me the endgame, skip the foreplay before I explode.

Can I ever change? Can I stay the same?

Fade away? But save who I am inside!

Ripping at seams, I pull the string to finally meet the end."

Napsta stopped moving the camera, his large eyes staring at the human with concern as she slouched, her hand covering her face and turning around as she let go of the microphone. Undyne, who had been blown away by the raw energy she spilled on the karaoke floor, went after Frisk and picked her up before she fell nearly fell down. "Frisk, you okay shrimp?" she asked, holding her in her arms. Sans had run up to Undyne, staring at her face with such an intensity, it sort of scared Undyne. Grillby meanwhile had walked around the counter, looking at the camera. "That, uh, Give it up for Frisk the Human! Debuting on our first and last episode of, Late Night with Grillby and Sans."

Sans let out a sigh of relief, his hands pinching her cheeks as her brown eyes stared back at him. "Oww..." she whispered, blinking as Undyne turned them around towards the camera. She yawned and waved at the camera.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Nous Reviens Au Noir**

And Switch

*********°*********•*********°*********

The friendly ghost floated beside the fishwoman and the short skeleton, examining the human's face. "Your eyes changed back." he stated, handing the phone to Sans who began to upload the video. "y-yeah, its uh, a human trait, very rare. it uh, means she needs to sleep! you don't wanna _sleep with the_ _ **fish**_ , right?" he winked, backing away as Undyne tried to headbutt him. "I'm... sleepy..." she yawned again, holding out her arms towards Papyrus who had approached. Without saying a word, the tall skelly picked her up and carried her in his arms, looking at Undyne. "ITS VERY LATE! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR OUR MORNING PRACTICE AT THIS RATE!"

Undyne peeked over Sans' phone, her eyes widening when she saw what time it was. "You need to sleep, shrimp. If you want those footies to be as good as new, we need to get you to bed NOW!" She roared, running towards the door and opening it for Papyrus who had also begun to run, but instead of taking the door, he went head first out the window, his arm shielding Frisk from any harm.

"...my window..." whispered Grillby, the fire in his hair growing big in a small explosion of fury. Sans turned towards his friend, scared for moment before taking out gold coins out of his pockets. "here, take it all, i'll even fix it for ye." he laughed nervously, but before he could do anything, he looked over to the ghost who continued to float in the room.

"...oh. Uh, yeah, I'll just... disappear now. Thanks for having me." he said in an apologetic tone, turning to mist and disappearing. Finally alone with his friend, Sans' blue eye appeared and he turned to the broken glass. Grillby watched as each shard came back to its original place. "you uh, got tape?"

In the corner of the room, the tall forgotten phantom face palmed himself as he let out a sigh. "Do you enjoy making yourself look like an idiot?" he asked himself, slowly floating to his son. "I suppose I used to act like that too. Ugh, I was the worst, and yet," he sighed once more, taking a deep breath.

To his surprise, a ball of light shot through the broken window which neither Sans nor Grillby could see. "And yet you would give it all up to go back to those days, right?" it said with Florencia's familiar voice, but the ball continuing to keep its sphere form.

A gentle rolling laugh escaped Gaster as he relaxed, his darkness turning back into a thin coat and his form slim and ghoulish. "You took the bait once, am I to believe you are to take it once more?" he asked as he walked to Sans who had begun to tape the window. Her voice answered, "No. I just want to know, if you would have used Arial." she asked, the light beginning to revolve around Gaster.

Puzzled by her words, Gaster shook his head. "No, I would never-" he began to say, but Florencia just as quick cut him off. "So you didn't want to capture her human SOUL at first? You weren't trying to become powerful enough to destroy your own kin?"

Anger began to seep into his expression. "No! I loved her!" he shouted, but the sphere only continued to circle him. "Before or after learning about SOUL absorption. You left me thinking, Gaster. You really left me thinking. Maybe I was a trophy wife to Pablo, that's why he got closer to me. Who's to say you didn't get close to Arial just because,"

Out of frustration, Gaster swiped at the sphere, but instead of going through it burned his hand. It was like fire, a ball of fire and he had just passed his hand through it. The lust for warmth before was unnerving, but now, this explosion of heat on his hand felt miserable. It was too warm now. Too hot.

Yet somehow... it burned for other reasons.

Silence had enveloped the two ghosts, leaving Florencia to the conclusion that she was right. Instead of arguing his logic, Gaster looked away with a horrified expression.

Back in reality, Sans had finished taping the glass together. "ya know grillbz, i don't think i've ever gotten this attached to someone since, well, your sis. i wanna keep frisk safe from chara and anyone who would try to harm 'er, but, time after time, at the end of each timeline, i blocked her path. i'd judge her. the first two times, i'd let her go, but then she slowly changed. the first time i fought her, she was sloppy. some more resets, and chara began to kick in, i'm sure. she'd taunt, she'd laugh, her movement would get faster. frisk never got past the barrier after the second time. i've been playing chara's game since then, grillby. i've _killed_ frisk."

Walking to the cooler side of the bar, Grillby held himself as he let out a puff of hot air. "You didn't know, Sans," he stated as firmly as he could, but the short skeleton only shook his head. "that's irrelevant. i mean, think about it, grillby. what if you had accidently burned someone to a crisp, would you forget that so easily?"

Stunned by his question, Grillby stood there in silence. "yeah, i didn't think so. now, to put this into perspective: what if you went back in time and killed steamy because you knew she was ordered to kill you, only to later find out she was your relative? what if you did this hundreds of times, over and over again? i guess its like that, ever since i realized frisk was the victim, i just became so protective, but the one who hurt her the most was me."

As the two monsters walked back to the counter, Gaster had finally spoken up. "Sure, I was introduced to Arial for all the wrong reasons, but that doesn't mean I would have... she grew on me, okay?"

Walking over towards the two friends, Gaster watched as Sans drank his mason jar of ketchup, balancing the jar on his skull as a joke. "I was a really awkward person growing up. I didn't really have friends until she introduced me to Asgore. Well, I mean, I knew Asgore, I just never took the time to befriend him. I met her through Segoe when I was just as angsty teen and she was a kid around Frisk's age; Segoe was analyzing her family. When I learned that her parents had a special bond that manifest itself as a being of higher power, I guess I did become more interested. She was a human with a ghoul dad, maybe she was a more potent human than the others, I figured. I couldn't meet with her through traditional means, so we exchanged postcards for years on end. Her silliness manifested itself unto me, and I began to try out being more like her. I imitated what he wrote to me, just the silliest things. Rolling down hills, sticking straws up my nose, burping the alphabet, oh god the horror." he laughed to himself, covering his face as he reminisced. "But as silly as the actions were, they made me feel alive for once. I wasn't a ghoul, or the son of the most prominent scientists, I was just... me. All her postcards and letters made me laugh and try out new things that Segoe hated. One day, she invited me to a school gathering of some sort. The royal prince was to be there in attendance and I used that as an excuse for Segoe. I flew over to her side of the world, and..." Gaster smiled, a tint of purple on his cheeks.

"Well, when I got there, she was backstage and preparing for her magic act in the school talent show. Asgore had recognized me and welcomed me with open arms. I sat in the front row with him, watching as monsters came in and out of those curtains, each with some sort of talent. I was fascinated with this idea of a school, a place where monsters would gather to learn together, and grow together. They had a social system of a sort, I really didn't believe school was more than just learning, but it also entailed a social system in itself. From what Arial had written me, she had transferred to an all monster school with her best friend Tory, and it just happened to be that Tory was Asgore's illegitimate girlfriend. She was the last one on stage, and she just dazzled the audience with magic tricks that baffled the audience, myself included. Tory was her assistant, and together they portrayed a fight scene that looked so realistic, I thought Toriel would light the school on fire." he chuckled to himself.

"After the show, Asgore and I became better acquainted. In an effort to spend more time with Arial in person, I went along with Asgore's over friendliness and took trips to the capital over the weekend. Before I knew it, Asgore started calling me one of his best friends, and Segoe was so thrilled she disregarded all my disappearances from the lab. We'd go on little adventures, and the more time I spent with Arial, the more I realized she wouldn't tell me everything about her life in her post cards. She'd hide her conflicts with other humans. Eventually Tory explained to me her rocky relationship with other humans, and how they would torment her. I guess, I sort of began to see her differently. My interest in her changed from absorbing her SOUL to just being with her. Grandpa Semi eventually caught on and Segoe found out when she hacked her way into my room. I remember this one time, I brought her to the labs and Grandpa Semi made a little welcome party for her. He brought out this gigantic cake he made himself and we all nearly choked on the flavor. He had mistaken the sugar for salt, you see. Next thing I know, she jumped head first into that thing and we had a cake fight. It was all good until Segoe ruined it. Grandpa Semi took her away while I argued with her and _that_ eventually led to the creation of a super computer named Vinnie. I didn't like being told who I could or couldn't be with, so with more reason I began to spend more time with her. One thing led to another, next thing I know I'm completely and utterly in love with that insufferable woman," he laughed, sitting down on one of the bar seats, looking at Sans.

The little ball of light soon began to circle around Sans before falling down on the counter beside his hand. Gaster watched with little interest at first, but when he saw that Sans held out his hand and looked at Florencia's sphere form, he became alarmed.

"Hm? What's that, Sans?" asked Grillby, shaking glass hard before slowly spilling the shaken cocktail on the mug, a low green fire falling along with the drink. "i dunno... florence, is that you?" he asked, his head rested on top of his other arm. "Florence?" asked Grillby, taking a sip of the hot cocktail which was still lit.

"Chara is scared witless. Something happened while I was recharging? What happened? She spoke with Frisk and asked her to play with you all. I take it that something happened between you two?" asked the little throbbing ball of light.

Grillby spurted out his flaming cocktail while Sans wiped away the spilled drink on his skull. "grillbz, chill you almost **burned** me." His narrow eye sockets looked over at the flamesman who cleaned up the spill while Sans patted down the small flames on his shirt. He then turned to the little ball of light, staring at it for a while before answering. "a bit of a long story, florence, but yeah. a few things happened, nothing too important. well, i guess... i mean, i saw my momster and dadster."

Gaster looked at his son, leaning his head as he awaited the continuation. "i missed him. the old him, before he went crazy, but uh, i guess his craziness was bound to be freed someday. momster's death just increased his level of crazy. i guess it was nice, but, it wasn't right. we're going to fix this timeline, one way or another. i'm not about to invade another timeline and screw them up."

Grillby smelled the cocktail before taking a sip, cocking the line above his eyes when Sans slammed his fist into the counter. The sphere moved around. "Whatever happens, I believe in you." Before disappearing, the little ball landed on his forehead before vanishing.

Gaster looked around, feeling the darkness seep back in and darkening the room around him. Alone again. His hand reached for his pocket, taking out a small packet of cigars. He absentmindedly put the cigar between his lips and it magically lit up. For what it was worth, at least the visual display of smoking relieved him a bit, even if it was all just like him, a ghost. His attention turned to Grillby who had taken out several bottles and a small case. "After all those experiences, I think we deserve this. I'll take you home after this." said the flamesman, pouring some more of the mild special ketchup unto a mason jar. Sans grinned, gripping his jar and raising it high. "to being old," he toasted, watching as Grillby opened the case and took two cigars. "To friendship." Grillby added, clinking his drink against Sans'. Soon thereafter, the two shared the cigars which filled Gaster with nostalgia. The simple pleasures of life... he couldn't even enjoy the perks of the after death like Florencia. The famous Dr. Gaster reduced to a silent exile that would drive anyone mad.

The smoke from the cigars filled the dimly lit counter, and the two friends silently drowned whatever ailed them while the phantom beside them pretended to smoke alongside them. It almost felt as though he were right there with them, if it weren't for that impenetrable darkness that seemed to darken the room.

The phantom's left hand stretched, moving the burn scars he had left there as a certain reminder. He could have just as easily renewed the appearance of his hand, but by just looking down at his hand he could relieve the thrill of feeling his hand burn.

This darkness had an exit, somewhere. Some variable, some area perhaps, something that could connect him to the real world. He couldn't rely on the mistake Chara had created, no, there had to be another way, and he was going to find it.

"Alright Sans, let's get you to your house." Grillby broke the silence, walking over to the short skeleton who had grabbed onto the counter for balance. As soon as Grillby had touched his shoulder, his blue eye flashed and the two disappeared with a breeze that blew out the lights of the bar. Left alone, Gaster got up from the seat and began to walk to the front door as though he were still a person. He raised the collar on his long black coat and snuggled inside of it, hoping to feel warmth but finding none. He was going to find a way back.

But for now, it was back to black.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Coming up next. . .

 **MTT: Behind the Scenes**

Double Crossed

*********°*********•*********°*********

Waking up with a start, Alphys fell down her chair and her ramen noodles spilled all around her face and upper body. "W-what is it, Mettaton?" she asked with an irritated tone, looking up and looking at the rectangular robot roll around her clean floor.

"WHAT IS IT?! You still have the audacity to ask me that, Alphys?! You had ONE job! Not only have my ratings plummeted, but now there's a brand new show starring Frisk and its ratings are OFF THE ROOF!" complained Mettaton.

"...A new show? What Show?" asked Alphys as she sat up. Rolling over to the front of the giant monitor, Mettaton began to surf the monster web and soon enough a video popped up on her screen. "Grillby's? Oh... it's the mysterious user who's been uploading a lot of Frisk footage."

"That mysterious user is stealing all my views! And no thanks to YOUR brilliant plan, my popularity is OVER." cried the robot, turning to Alphys who had stood up. "H-hey! You want that new body; you need to help me be friends with Frisk! No friendship, no body." Alphys demanded, crossing her arms.

The robot stared for a while before beginning to roll towards the door. "FINE! But I'll have you know, you're being awfully mean to me! Our friendship is OVER."

Alphys furrowed her eyebrows, putting her hands on her hips. "FINE!" Alphys screamed back, her chest rising and falling with anger up until the door to the lab closed behind Mettaton. Once he was gone, Alphys fell back down unto the wet floor. "Oh Mettaton... you're being mean too." she whispered, but shook her head. Mettaton had stopped hanging out with her once his popularity grew, so why should she feel guilty?

Why was she feeling guilty?

Rolling on the earth, Mettaton grumbled to himself as he took the elevators. It was the early hours of the morning, so no one was around which was a relief. The thought of monsters looking at him and disliking him for what Alphys was making him do was the worst feeling in the world. What was he to do?

Lost in his thoughts, he bumped into a lady who looked at him with several eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry darling!" Mettaton apologized. Letting out a cute laugh, the spider nodded. "It's okay! I was just about to start working at my bakery."

Mettaton looked at the table. "Spider Bake Sale...?" he questioned, turning to the young spider. She smiled and nodded. "Yes Mr. Robot! Money donated will help us finance a way to reunite the spider clans."

Mettaton looked at her. "Mr. Robot? Don't you know who I am?" He asked innocently enough. She shook her head. "I don't believe we've met."

Ah, probably a young lady who works too hard. Perhaps she didn't watch television? ...which probably means they don't catch up on the news. Thinking for a minute, held out his hand. "I'm a friend, Miss Spider-Lady. I'm moved by your story, and I will donate you a considerable amount in exchange of a favor." Mettaton spoke, shaking her hand.

"Really! That's great! What can I do?" she asked with enthusiastic eyes.

"There's a human in the underground, but I'm afraid they mean you harm. Humans on the surface, you see, they hate spiders. They stomp on them and tear their legs off-just horrible things. Since you look like quite a strong spiderette, I please ask that you help the underground by capturing their SOUL. In exchange of their SOUL, I will make a big donation. The SOUL will be used for the greater good, I assure you."

Muffet gasped, taking a step back and cringing. Her other arms wrapped around her body as he listened to Mettaton's offer. "Greater good? It'll reach King Asgore, I assume. If it's for the greater good, I'll do it, of course! But what if the human is nice? I don't think I'll be able to do it if they're nice." Muffet countered.

Mettaton nodded. "Of course. When they come by, offer them a baked good. If they refuse, it's because they're stingy! A true noble human would buy a baked good for 9999 gold," Mettaton exaggerated, looking at the twinkling eyes. "Of course! What a great suggestion! Thank you...?" she thanked, shaking his hand.

"Hm? Ah, I'm just a friend."

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Next Day...

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sitting down on carpet, the rectangular robot was still with its hands positioned in his mediation stance. The fingers on his hands were lapsed on each other while the thumbs connected, creating a circle as he continued to rest in his low power state, a few long cords attached and transfering some electrical juice to keep his internal battery fully charged.

On cue, an alarm clock began to ring and the robot stirred, moving his hands apart and reaching for the clock on the small stable on his right side. There was a paper report of what his ratings had been for the past few days, and it was horrendous. That steep decline, all just because he had begun to attack the human on live TV.

With a sigh, Mettaton removed the cords and had begun to make his way out of his current abode within Alphy's lab. Rolling by, he put his hands where his hips should be, cringing internally at this... curve less body. At first, all he ever wanted was to make people happy, to see a smile on everyone's face. Quiz shows, singing, drama, all of that worked to make monsters happy. The happier they got, the more fulfilled Mettaton felt, until slowly the feeling of wishing to fulfill his own happiness crept into his soul.

As Mettaton rolled down the white halls towards the elevator, a simple thought came to mind. A body. A body with which he'd be able to fully express himself, herself, itself. Express his glamour, his happiness through dance and smiles. Perhaps wear a dress? Or a suit? Oh the dilemma on such a thought! But then, if he wore a dress, could it be confusing? Would monsters... not like it? Despise it?

As the doors to the elevator opened, his train of thought was disrupted by the sight of Alphys who walked with a cup of ramen in her hands. Rolling away in silence, Mettaton kept a haughty air around him. How dare she use his dream against him?

Rolling over to his mailbox, his confidence dropped when there was a single letter awaiting him. Usually, he got twenty or so letters per day minimum. Grabbing the single letter, he went about his day.

It was late in the afternoon now, perhaps an hour away from being evening. He had skipped filming today, a sort of day off, and had spent it mediating so that he could focus on positive energy. The only problem was... everything he was doing was far from positive.

Could he really _reap_ a young child's SOUL? Even if it was for the greater good, even if it meant saving thousands, if not millions of human souls in the process...

Could he _really_ kill an innocent child and live with the thought? Heavens to betsy, no, he would not be able to live with himself. But could he live with the thought of having the power to save millions, and not doing so?

Turning on his rocket, he ascended into the air and began to peruse the area. Surely, the human must have returned. Hopefully the famous baker, Muffet, was able to subdue that little child. But what if his plan failed? What if Frisk was able to charm her way through Muffet? Well, there was only one way to do it, and that was to take the SOUL himself as he had originally planned. On stage, live, one last grand performance.

As he reached his musical stage, he realized that the little human was stumbling around, taking layers upon layers of web off herself **. "I thought too soon... oh dear, back to playing cat and mouse."** he thought to himself, racing to the little backstage where he proceeded to put on his dress. A quick glance at the mirror heightened his nervousness, knowing fully well the underground was used to his skits where he posed as a female as a joke but...

"I'M JUST TOO FABULOUS! DON'T SWEAT IT, METTATON! IT'S FINE; IT IS! AND THIS DRESS IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS, I MUST NOT LET SUCH AN UGLY THOUGHT RUIN THIS SPECTACULAR MOMENT." Mettaton said to himself, bolstering his confidence as he assumed his position and awaited Frisk.

Taking a peek, Mettaton realized the poor child was absolutely covered in sticky webs and she would take a while. Taking the letter from out his compartment, he realized the letters on the cover looked familiar. _"Ah! It's a regular fan!"_ squealed Mettaton inside his robotic head, carefully opening the letter.

"DEAR METTATON,

HELLO, ITS P AGAIN. HOW ARE YOU? I HOPE YOU'RE ALRIGHT. THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU'VE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO KILL THE HUMAN, AND I'M QUITE CONCERNED. AS YOUR #1 FAN, I PLEASE BEG OF YOU TO HAVE MERCY WITH HER. SHE'S A REALLY NICE AND KIND HUMAN, AS I'M SURE YOU ARE TOO. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I STILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU AND YOUR SHOWS, BUT IF YOU COULD PLEASE RECONSIDER.

I HOPE YOU DON'T TAKE MY WORDS THE WRONG WAY. I'M STILL YOUR #1 FAN.

P."

Slowly, Mettaton put the paper back into the envelope. A fan, was still a fan **. "My number one fan, huh? Would you still be my fan after I collect her SOUL, I wonder?"**

*********°*********•*********°*********

MTT Prime Time Special, on now!

 **Undertale: The Musical**

Written and directed by Toby Fox

Starring: Mettaton and Frisk

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk let out a long sigh, smiling as the last of the web was thrown aside. Her hands ran through her hair, making sure nothing sticky was left behind, but all the web was finally gone! What a relief!

Taking a few steps forward, her badly worn ballerina shoes softly tapped on the floor. Her head turned to her left side, noticing a beautiful scenic view of a town. Up high was a moon and stars dangling by a rope, and Frisk could only grin. "Woah... it's just like..."

A quick flash of a memory popped into her mind, a stage with a midnight scene painted. The moon and the Stars dangling by rope held down by two children, and the curtains opening to a bright light.

Her forehead rested inside the palm of her hands, wincing as she recovered from the sudden pain. She looked up beside the stars, and realized that it looked a lot like this was a scene. _An actual scene!_

"OH? THAT HUMAN..."

The little girl's head snapped towards the top of the building, her eyes widening much like her smile. A low rumbling squeal began to vibrate deep within her, her hands coming up her chest as she tried to contain her sudden happiness.

"COULD IT BE?" Mettaton asked, poking his head out and noticing the excitement in Frisk. She liked this. She liked his idea. Would she like the rest of his idea, he wondered? Knowing that his pause had been long enough, he revealed the rest of his body, standing with his hands clapsed together as he looked down upon that youthful expression. "...MY ONE TRUE LOVE?"

Frisk let out a gentle laugh as she wrinkled her nose. Her hands wiped her face and moved all the loose strands of hair to the side or over her ear. The background music began to roll in, a gentle song which was not a piano. It sounded... heavenly. It was beautiful, a most fitting melody. It was a perfect melody to dance to... yes! Yes, it was! With the sudden flashback she had earlier, her feet suddenly knew certain steps she had not known before.

Her feet stood on her tippy toes, her arms extending out as she twirled slowly using the tips of her feet while Mettaton slowly rolled down the stairs with his hands holding the skirt of his dress. As her body turned, the robot watched, mesmerized by her movement, but keeping track of his body so that his small 'play' would not be ruined.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the little girl's legs were bending and her arms created a circle with her eyes closed. But when those eyes fluttered open, her arms were once more extended out, her left hand reaching out for Mettaton with sparkling pupils.

Careful not to lose control of himself, Mettaton began to sing.

"Oh my love

Please run away,"

Her little feet hopped away and landed on their tips, that body of hers circling around before hopping away when he sang it.

"Monster King

Forbids your stay,"

He sang with emotion, the back of his left hand on his forehead, or what would be his forehead. He glanced and saw the way Frisk continued to move with that tutu, slower and portraying a sad expression. Where did she learn to dance and act like that?

"Humans must

Live far apart

Even if

It breaks my heart."

A pang of pain suddenly shook his metal body, his hands covering his face but deep inside he was fighting back the sentimental tears that he could not shed. Why were his lyrics suddenly so important to him? Why did the words that he had chosen suddenly sting so much? Surely, yes, they were meant to captivate and move the audience, but he himself could not be moved. He could break character and ruin the show! And that was just what was happening.

Another sudden pain overwhelmed his body. Rejection. That's what would happen if he lost character, if he let his emotions dictate this scene.

Frisk had smoothly gotten closer to Mettaton, her legs straight and her feet moving quickly as she slowly tippie toed her way to him. Just then, flower petals began to blow towards them, slowly twirling down. Cue!

"They'll put you

In the dungeon,"

As he sang, the little girl's legs began to move and she jumped away, her left leg rising up and falling down her hands moving as she twirled faster and faster, soon enough moving once more using her little feet that seemed to try to outdo themselves and her arms to help her express what she was dancing. _Why_ was he captivated by her performance? Why did he _feel_ like he could dance just like her? _Why_ was he limited to a wheel?

"It'll suck

And then you'll die a lot

Really Sad

You're gonna Die"

The breeze and the flower petals only made her dance all the more hypnotizing. Up high in the beams, he could see the camera and the monitor with the ratings. Falling, again. They were interested in the show, up until he had to change the lyrics to appease Alphys' crazy plot.

"Cry cry cry

So sad its happening."

Slowly, Frisk came to a stop, her large eyes watching as his hands reached towards her and petting her head. Her flushed cheeks were a pink and her breaths were steady from all the dancing that had just occurred.

He needed strength to put out this cute little muffin.

"SO SAD. SO SAD THAT YOU'RE GOING TO THE DUNGEON."

Backing away, he could see the confusion in her eyes. She was too innocent and naive to know what was happening now, wasn't she?

With a heavy heart, Mettaton raised his arms with the button on his left hand. "WELL TOODLES!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Stay tuned for...

 **Playtime with Chara!**

*Memories

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The trapdoor opened beneath Frisk and Sans could himself falling as well, looking around franticly. "chara..." he growled under his breath, as everything slowly began to fade to black. Beside him, the ghostly body of a teenage Chara floated and she reached for him, grabbing his shoulders with panic in her eyes. "Listen to me bonehead! Gaster _knows_! He's going to _kill_ me, we're-"

Pitch black.

Opening his eyes, he saw Rex on top of him, his slobbering tongue licking his eye sockets. "r-rex!" he shouted with a laugh, his arms wrapping around his body as his fingers grasped the furs. "We're back? I'm actually looking forward to talking to Steamy." Beamed Grillby.

Just then, the smile on Sans disappeared for a moment. Chara was in trouble, but, if this was another timeline... What if, they stayed here? What if Chara died and ceased to exist in this world? Perhaps this timeline could...

"SANS? THERE YOU ARE! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING, SILLYBONES?" asked Arial with a smile, her head tilting and the hairs of the wig gently falling down unto her shoulders. Grillby looked at skeletal woman. "We're wrestling with Rex miss Arial. Would you like to join us?" asked Grillby with his childish voice. Arial looked at him funny and Grillby realized his folly once more. "OH YOU'RE SUCH AN EDUCATED LITTLE BOY! STEAMY IS DOING A GREEEAAAT JOB! I WISH MY LITTLE SANS WOULD SPEAK SO ELOQUENTLY, JUST LIKE MY GEEGEE, BUT I GUESS SANS IS JUST A LITTLE TAD LAZY, BUT THAT'S ALRIGHT. THAT'S JUST WHO HE IS, AND HE'S PERFECT THIS WAY. HE'S MY LITTLE LAZY MARSHMALLOW."

A bright blue blush was quickly painted across his cheeks. " _mooooom_ ," Sans whined as Rex got off of him and he sat up.

Sitting down on the grass, Arial stretched her long legs and leaned back on her arms. "YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR GRANDFATHER... I NEVER REALLY TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS, HUH? I HAD A DREAM LAST NIGHT AND THEY CAME TO MIND."

Grillby sat down and crossed his legs, his arms on his legs as he positioned his head unto his hands. Sans scooted over to Arial, letting his head fall down unto her arm.

"MY FATHER ROMAN WAS A LAZY BONES TOO. INSTEAD OF WORKING AT THE LABS, HE'D RUN OFF AND PRACTICE HIS FIGHTING SKILLS. ALL DAY AND NIGHT, JUST HONING HIS SKILL DEPRIVED HIS ENERGY, SO HE'D FALL ASLEEP ON THE JOB. BEFORE MY MOM, THIS WAS ALL HE DID. AFTER MEETING MY MOM, HE BECAME MORE RESPONSIBLE AND HE WOULD SECRETLY WATCH OVER HER AND MAKE SURE NO HARM CAME TO HER. DURING THOSE TIMES, A VERY FEW MONSTERS AND QUITE A LOT OF HUMANS DIDN'T LIKE HUMANS WHO ASSOCIATED WITH MONSTERS. WHEN HE DECIDED TO SETTLE DOWN, HE MADE PROTECTING HER HIS ONE AND ONLY JOB. BUT EVEN AFTER SETTLING DOWN, HE WAS SO LAZY AT THE HOUSE."

Grillby laughed, looking at Sans who looked at him a bit confused. "Sans is very lazy." Grillby stated, noticing a small tinge of blue on his white cheeks. "you have no proof, grillbz." Sans retorted.

Arial looked up, taking in the air although she no longer had any lungs. "HE TAUGHT ME TO ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE, WHICH WAS REALLY HARD TO LEARN WHEN YOU'RE SUPER HYPER ALL THE TIME. HE TOLD ME THAT WE ONLY GET ONE LIFE, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. IF WE JUST RUSH THROUGH LIFE TO GET WHAT WE WANT, WHEN WE GET IT, IT WON'T BE THE SAME. I THOUGHT THAT ONE DAY I'D SEE HIM AND MY MOM AGAIN, BUT ITS BETTER THIS WAY. NOTHING CAN EVER BEAT THE ORIGINAL, EVEN IF BY SOME CHANCE WE GO BACK TO A WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING IS BACK TO HOW WE KNEW IT."

Sans' back stiffened, his eye sockets wide as he stared at his mother who continued to look up at the sky. "momster, why are you-?" he began to ask, but was silenced by her sincere smile. "THERE WAS THIS CRAZY PLAN THE SCIENTISTS HAD BEFORE THE WAR. FOR SOME STRANGE REASON MY MOTHER AND FATHER WARNED ME ABOUT IT IN MY DREAMS. YOU'RE YOUR FATHER'S SON SO I NEED YOU TO PROMISE ME YOU'LL NEVER TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT. BESIDES, SOMETHING ABOUT MESSING WITH THE UNKNOWN IS REALLY SCARY, I DON'T WANT YOU OR MY GEEGEE TO GET HURT."

Grillby looked at Sans who seemed to be in a deep thought. What was there to think about? Looking back to the garden, Grillby noticed that Chara was nowhere to be seen, and that Asriel had gone back to the castle. Did Chara perhaps go with Asriel?

"...you don't know what you're asking me to promise momster..." Sans mumbled under his breath, looking away and feeling the staggering stares of his mother. "SANS?" she asked innocently enough.

Standing up from where he had been, he managed to look his mother in the eyes. "...what if you died, and dad went crazy? what if half the monster population vanishes, along with dad? what if an innocent human was being manipulated by a demon to kill everyone in the underground? would i still be in the wrong for wanting to timeskip?"

Grillby did a double take, his heart beating fast as Ariel looked at him with a puzzled look which eventually distorted into a frown. "...you're serious, aren't you...?" she asked, sitting up with her legs crossed, patting the ground in front of her so that Sans would sit down.

So Gaster acting weird lately had to do with the research his parents left behind. It had to. He hadn't listened to her and destroyed the data, he kept it and was going to try to use it.

As Sans sat down, Grillby got up from his place. "I will excuse myself now, please... go easy on him. He's gone through too much."

*********°*********•*********°*********

The tall walls of the castle loomed over Grillby as his little feet took long strides. It had been a good few hours and he had scouted the entire castle without finding Chara or Asriel. That... was weird.

"Hmm? What are you doing all alone little monster?" asked King Asgore as he turned on the corner and noticed the little flamesboy. "Ah! M-mister King Asgore, I uh... would you happen to know where Chara is?" asked Grillby, noticing that he seemed confused. "Why, I hope she's with Steamy. Steamy and Asriel said they were all going to the labs to catch up on a few lessons, did she not tell you?" asked King Asgore.

"O-oh! That's right, I forgot! Thank you, Mr. Dreemurr, sir." Grillby managed to say, bowing his head as he began to run the opposite way. Something was very wrong.

Before Asgore could question the child, he was far gone. In his hands, he held two cups of tea and continued to make his way to the family room. When he got there, the sweet smell of butterscotch cinnamon pie filled the atmosphere, and his beloved wife sat in on the sofa chair beside the lit hearth. "I got two fresh tea cups of golden flower." he announced, putting them down on the table and turning to Toriel who smiled. "Ever since Chara began to plant that flower, you've drank nothing but its tea!" she laughed, putting down the book and walking to the table.

With a nod, Asgore sat down and adjusted the cape behind him. "Those flowers grew and expanded so quickly with the help of Asriel. It's good to see him outside his room for a change, although last night's adventure left me concerned. Did Chara explain why her hand...?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing and his smile falling flat as Toriel placed a neatly cut piece of pie in front of him. Just like him, her smile vanished and her eyes casted down as she shook her head. "...no. Perhaps she had another nightmareand she thought it'd be a good idea to go for a walk again. You do remember how much of a handful she was the first month, no?" she asked, sitting down opposite of Asgore and extending her hands out so that they clasped his.

Letting out a quick chuckle, Asgore nodded and tilted his head to the side. "How could I forget? Asriel would wake us at night and we'd find her limping around aimlessly or at a scenic area. Asriel had a knack for finding her."

Toriel let go of Asgore's left hand and took a sip of her tea. "Now they just run around all over the underground. I get worried sometimes, but they always come home right at lunch and supper without fail. I think she's had a wonderful effect on Asriel. He's more sociable and I think they look so cute together," Toriel confessed with a quick giggle.

Asgore let out a hearty laugh, taking a sip of his tea as well. "Asriel has certainly begun to grow a bit. I'm just concerned about how he'll accept Chara's mortality in the future. If things between the two do work out, I can't imagine the hurt he'll go through. It's cute Tory, but let's be practical. Asriel is better off keeping Chara as a friend. By the time he's a teenager, she might..."

Toriel's left hand squeezed his right hand, her eyes darting down unto her cup of tea. "I don't want to lose my child. She's our little Chara. She calls us her parents, she hugs us and she's just a darling." She spoke in a soft voice, her watery eyes looking up to see Asgore in a slight panic.

"Tory, don't cry! I'm sorry, it's okay. Everything will work out, you'll see. Here, this will make you feel much better."

Toriel fought back the tears and smiled as Asgore picked up a spoonful of pie and slowly brought it to her lips. "Oh, fluffybuns..." she whispered with a coy smile, a slight blush appearing chomped down on the spoon. With their gazes locked unto each other, Asgore gave her his goofy love-struck smile and blew her a kiss.

She began to chew on the pie as she got up from her chair and leaned over the table, catching Asgore off guard. "Thank you **sweetpie**." She chuckled, nuzzling his nose before landing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

The flustered King Fluffybun could only grin.

Looking at the time, Toriel gasped. "We're late! We need to go buy more snails if you want snail pie tomorrow."

Without exchanging words, the two goats quickly grasped each other's hand and walked out the room.

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Chara opened her eyes, a wave of nausea filling her throat and her gag reflex making her eyes water. Her eyes quickly looked around, and she realized she was being held down by a slab and chains. This was new.

She turned her head and realized that Gaster was typing away on the computer. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to wiggle herself free from the restraints with no avail. Her gaze turned to the machine in the middle of the front, the machine that filled her with rage and hate.

"Just a little research before I put your SOUL to use. Vinnie still makes no sense, but you seemed to grasp the language she uses, so I should be able to do the same."

As the ghoul continued to type away and pause in between typing and reading, Chara could only stare at the machine whose red dots stared back at her. "...n-no... I'm not going back in there. I'm NOT going back in there, GASTER!" she screamed, trying to kick but only her knees seemed to move. The restrain on her neck choked her as her throat expanded for air. She could feel a burning feeling on her temple, probably where he knocked her out in the elevator.

Gaster had finally turned to look at her with his indifferent expression. "I don't recall asking for permission. Perhaps this tape will temper down that mouth of yours?" he asked calmly, his hand grabbing a nearby roll of tape.

Breathing through her nose, Chara watched as he approached her. In front of the SOUL machine was the SOUL coffin already attached with cords to the SOUL machine. He was going to do it again. "NO! LET ME GO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, squirming around as much as she could, her eyes growing wide as she shook her head. The strong tape silenced her screams, and now only her muffled cries echoed throughout the silent room. She watched with horror as multiple hands began to appear, each releasing a limb and holding it firmly. She could feel the veins on her neck popping out from how much force she put into her screams. Her muscles writhed in pain as she tried her hardest to pull herself away from the floating hand's grasp, but it was to no avail. Sweat rolled down her forehead from over exertion and her nose breathed vehemently, her cheeks puffed and her entire face red from the amount of energy she put into trying to free herself.

The floating hands slowly but surely floated her towards the coffin and set her down forcefully. Dazed, she stared at Gaster who looked down on her with a creeping smile beginning to appear. "This time, _stay_ dead, will'ya?"

Her eyes could only get wider and she continued to scream as loud as she could, her eyes trying to catch the last rays of light before the coffin was shut on her.

Walking casually to his holographic keyboard, Gaster initiated the SOUL transfer, startled by the muffled screams that seemed to emanate from the coffin. He turned his head, looking back at the coffin and noticing the red light around the rim of the coffin door. Chara was dead the last time he initiated this procedure. Perhaps this procedure was horrifyingly painful.

With a shrug, he returned to his work, staring at the 0's and 1's on the screen. Fifteen minutes until the SOUL was fully extracted. With a sigh, he bent down and opened the drawers, his hands going through Knick knacks until he came to a box of cigarettes. Grabbing the lighter, he quickly fumbled with the box and took one out.

Exhaling, he let his head fall back as the smoke circles dispersed in the air. He could feel the warmth inside of him, inside his lungs. This was what he needed last night.

Relaxed, he closed his eyes and continued to smoke, unaware that on the security cameras someone approached.

The door to the room exploded, and the door flew forward and hit the coffin. Alarmed, Gaster turned to the intruder, summoning his hands. Before he knew what was going on, he found himself wrapped and lifted by white mist. He could feel that light air begin to harden around his neck, and he looked down at the culprit looked up to him with a defiant snarl. His hands had slammed her down on the floor. Before he could feel comfortable with this stalemate, her body slowly began to turn into a white mist which his hands could not grasp.

"Grab me again, and I _will_ choke you." she growled as her body began to materialize. She was kneeling down beside the coffin where the muffled screams had begun to slowly gotten duller. He watched her have trouble, and he turned to the monitor where eleven minutes remained.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Steamy's fists slammed on the coffin, trying to get a response from Chara but her screams could no longer be heard. "How do you open this thing?!" she shrieked, looking at Gaster who only shrugged. With frustration as her fuel, her hands grabbed the edges of the top of the coffin and she slowly dug her fingers inside the edges until she ripped it apart.

There, inside of the coffin was Chara with eyes wide open, her mouth wide open and gasping in the air. Floating above her chest was the bright red SOUL which looked damaged and corrupt with fine black veins expanding from its core. It was nothing like the red SOUL that Chara used to have, before any of this.

Chara could see a flash of bright light, and the air around her suddenly rushed into her lungs. She blinked several times, feeling her SOUL slowly float back into her body and her hands being grasped by the cloudy feeling that was Steamy.

"Please be okay." Chara could hear Steamy whisper over and over again, her head dangling from Steamy's shoulder as her body was being embraced by the monster. With all the energy Chara could muster up, she managed to speak. "There are no gods, stop praying."

Gaster fell down as soon as Steamy released her magic out of her loss of focus. Without a second thought, he made a beeline to his computer, his eyes scanning the data he managed to cough up with what little SOUL power he could harvest. "...room 269?" he whispered, looking at a block of letters in his native language 'wingdings' before going back to 0's and 1's.

Steamy's hands grasped Chara's face which had begun to show a bit of color. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, I should have gotten here sooner. Please forgive me." she sobbed as she embraced the human child once more. She looked up and realized that Gaster was at his hologram computer, and she quickly let go of Chara and stood up. "Get away from that computer, Gaster!" She shouted, a spiral of mist running up her body and around her arms.

The Ghoul did not turn around, but only continued to run his eyes through the walls of text as quickly as he could. Without prior notice, steamy pushed a blanket of mist over the computer hardware which then combusted into a fiery explosion. When the Hologram disappeared, Gaster turned around with anger in his eyes and several of his hands going around the top of his head. Purple beams began to shoot towards Steamy, but she only turned into that damned mystified form. "You destroyed Vinnie! You have NO idea what you have just done!" He shouted as all of his hands tried to aim for Steamy.

Chara crawled away, breathing heavily as she watched Gaster begin to glitch. This was an unnatural power he didn't have in this timeline, not yet at least. "Steamy, he's glitching! Keep making him do that!" she shouted, quickly crawling away from the coffin as a hand's beam shot at it. Metal pieces hit her back and she fell down. She turned around, looking at two hands floating high above her, aimed right at her. She closed her eyes, waiting for something to hit her but instead she felt a rush of air pass her.

"Are you alright?" asked a familiar voice. She could feel the familiar warmth, and when her eyes met his hand, she could only clasp it, wincing in pain as her body ached. Grillby's hand was very warmth, but the tall shadow that covered them puzzled her. When she turned around, her eyes widened as she looked at the tall skeleton in her blue dress holding a shield the size of her height with her right arm while in her left hand she held a long bone sword.

"sup." croaked Sans who had been standing a few feet away, watching as Arial stood against his father's attack.

On the other side, Gaster took a step back with a bewildered expression but nonetheless continued the assault. "Stand down, Arial! That demon destroyed our 'ever after'!" he shouted, his eyes keeping tabs on Steamy who continued to elude his hands, but didn't manage to land a hit on them either. He could feel the DT flow through his veins, and on his hands he could see the holes he had in the other timeline appear randomly as a glitch. His eyes slowly slithered over to Arial and he could feel a wave of nausea when he saw the look of horror in her expression. He could feel his face change.

"G-G-GEEGEE! STOP IT! YOUR FACE IS MELTING!" exclaimed Arial as she took a step forward against the purple beams that hit her bone shield hard. Steamy stopped her evading for a moment and looked over to Gaster whose smooth face had slowly begun to liquefy. His head looked like it had been shattered on the right side, connecting to his right eye socket while on his left eye he had a cut or another broken piece. His palms were hollow, and his lips had slowly melted. His pristine clothes were dripping into whatever he was becoming.

Without a warning, the power in his extra hands grew even more powerful and had each taken a different color. A hand hovered above him, glowing green as it somehow tried to keep his body intact.

Sans gasped, shaking his head as he got closer to his mother. "we gotta go. i know that gaster, he's bad news. but if he's here... grab on to me, quick!"

Chara's eyes lit up as she stared at Sans. "Teleport us out of here NOW!" Arial gritted her teeth as her sword disappeared and her left hand grabbed Sans' shoulder. Next thing she knew, she was in the Castle Courtyard and Sans looked knocked out.

Steamy smirked, moving around the empty space that everyone had left behind. They all just... disappeared. It was weird, but Steamy wasn't about to question it. "I'm not letting you get away from here that easy. We're fighting until you disappear from his timeline, got it?" Steamy stated, hurdling white firey fireballs towards his hands.

Gaster could feel the healing hand work its magic, but his body's reaction to the DT would leave permanent damages to this body it seemed. "Fine, but you're disappearing with me, got it? I got enough data to realize my plans in my timeline, but this... this is for Vinnie." His electronic voice had returned.

Slightly confused by his words, Steamy went all out against the phantom.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans opened his eyes to the touch of a warm tongue on his cheeks. Rex. He turned to his right side, where everyone seemed to be huddling, talking amongst whispers and his mother looked ill.

When Arial had seen that her son had come to, she had embraced him. "ARE YOU OKAY? THAT WAS AMAZING. ...WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET YOU HOME."

He looked towards Grillby who been on his tippie toes so that he could see a small bundle carried by Asriel. Chara was a few away sitting down and hugging her legs, rolling back and forth. He could see bruises on her pale skin and dried trails of tears-what _had_ happened to her? He had originally wished his father had taken care of her, but he didn't. It almost looked like she was held captive and Chara was never easy to cry. She could withstand high levels of pain, just _what_ happened?

"But we are home, miss Arial." Asriel said, his blue eyes sparkling. Little Papyrus continued to sleep soundly in his arms while Asriel gently rocked him.

Chara finally looked up. "...why did you show up? You were going to let it happen, why didn't you?" she asked, her red piercing eyes locked unto Sans' eye sockets.

Arial could notice a heavy air between the human and her son; She couldn't just interrupt their thing. They were both from another timeline, somehow, it made Arial feel like a total stranger. She walked around to Asriel and took her youngest son into her arms, looking at how innocently he slept through all this turmoil. "WE'RE HOME, ASRIEL, BUT THEY'RE NOT. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING OVER LITTLE PAPYRUS WHILE STEAMY WENT ON AN ERRAND." Arial thanked with a smile.

Sans sat up and began to scratch the back of Rex's neck. "grillbz told us something was wrong, besides... if anyone gets to beat you up, it's me. steamy made it easy to get into the labs with what leaving explosions and doors thrown around. i'm surprised she knew how to disable the alarms."

Asriel had slowly walked up to Chara, fiddling with his thumbs nervously as he looked over Chara. "... are you okay?" he asked, startled when she turned around to look at him. His left hand had been offered as a means to help her up, but instead her hand clasped his and she pulled him down unto her. "I'm fine, you furball. Let's go to our secret spot." she said with a slight smile as Asriel white fur caressed her delicate and aching skin.

Sans got up from the grass, his hand petting Rex as he glanced at Grillby with concern in his eye sockets. "what about steamy and gaster? is she safe with him? what's to going to happen to this world when we leave?"

Chara could feel Asriel's arms around her harden at the thought. "Steamy will buy us time. The worst that could happen is that Steamy turns to dust, Gaster finds us, we disappear, and everyone remembers what happens, but no one will truly know what happened to us. Something tells me Gaster isn't going to hunt us down though. He needed to power up his supercomputer for information. Whatever it was he was looking for, he can't access it anymore. He intends to go back." Chara responded, her head resting on Asriel's collarbone and hearing the beat of his steady heart against her ear.

Asriel looked so confused, turning his head to Arial, then to Sans. His long ears gently hit the top of Chara's head like soft pillows. "Come on, let's go." Chara smiled at him, standing up on her weakened knees that trembled under her weight. Asriel helped her up, holding her side as her left arm hooked unto his neck. She seemed much lighter now.

Arial walked toward Chara but stopped when she noticed that the girl seemed to cling unto the goat and no one else. Her straight strands of hair hid her face as best as it could, but Arial could see the trembling of her lower lip. The golden glint of her heart locket shined beside the exact replica on around the goat's neck. 'Best Friends Forever'.

Sans was going to offer teleporting there, but he could feel the energy in his body already low. In the back of his mind, he could only think about Steamy. She was already there, fighting with Gaster when they showed up. Why would she fight him over Chara? Why was she so special?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Hours had passed, and now they were in the darkened caves in the underground. Sans knew where they were.

Asriel had come to a stop in front of a wall where Chara had slowly slid down unto the wet floor. Drops of water fell down like rain and she stared at the wall. "This is where they cast off our statue. Sad, ain't it? It wore down all your features, so it looks like a generic statue of someone sitting in the rain." Chara explained to a confused goat. Asriel knelt down, looking at Chara with those sparkling blue eyes of his. "Chara, what are you talking about?" he asked as droplets of water fell from his fur, sliding down his features. Her hand had slowly touched his now blushing cheek as she looked deeply into those blue eyes. "Do you remember that stupid song we wrote on the piano? Your song?" she asked, and sure enough, in the background the twinkling of the piano keys vibrated along the walls of the cave, slowly turning into music box notes.

Arial turned to look at Sans who shrugged. Grillby was between the three of them, trying hard to keep himself out of the water's way underneath the safety of the three umbrellas. Although the two skeletons couldn't understand, Grillby could grasp that this meant a lot to Chara. If his memory served him correctly, this was the same music that erupted from the statue when Frisk had given it an umbrella.

Chara struggled to her feet, her knees buckling as she grasped unto Asriel's fur. Her muscles ached with pain from the SOUL transfer, and she knew a bit of her life had been sucked out of her. "I can't walk anymore, Asriel." She whispered, closing her eyes as her arms wrapped around his neck. Without a word, Asriel picked her up with ease.

Carrying Chara in his arms, he slowly but surely walked towards the open space. Behind him, the three monsters followed underneath the safety of their umbrellas, watching in silence as he leads them to where Chara had suggested. Sans looked up to his momster who looked quite tired with lines underneath her eye sockets. They had just destroyed her life. He could see the tenderness with which she held Papyrus, the only one who hadn't changed in this timeline. She knew that Sans had been experimented on, she knew about Gaster and what he did, what he might do. Even knowing that, when she had seen the damage on Gaster back in the lab, he knew it killed her inside, killed her with rage and worry for him. Sans didn't think he'd ever see his mother look so fierce with what, being the tender and goofy mother she was. "...NYEH!"

Sans was startled by his little brother's sudden cry, but a smile only appeared on Arial as she held tighter. Up ahead, Asriel had come to a stop in front of a scenic view of the castle. He had sat down with Chara on his legs while he held her up in her weakened state. "We're here Chara... are you alright? Maybe we should get mommy," he whispered with saddened eyes.

The human only leaned against his body, her eyes twinkling as she stared at the view. Her hand reached for his and she grasped it as a gentle smile slowly began to etch on her face. "Shh. It'll be alright. It'll be just like we planned, but different. I'm going to die, and you'll be safe." she whispered her eyes casting down on the darkness. She leaned harder against him as she closed her eyes, trying to forget that godawful machine she had been placed in.

"Chara, I don't want to go through with it. Let's just stay here, forever. I-If you die, I... I'll be with you forever, I promise." Asriel whimpered as his arm around her tightened.

Shaking her head, Chara could only remember the lies and betrayal after her death. How easily Asgore had taken it upon himself to seek vengeance for his son. How Toriel had fled and adopted every child she came across. How Steamy had so easily accepted Gaster's explanations about her SOUL. How she came to forget about Chara's crush on Sans when she called herself like a sister. How everyone easily forgot about her. How easily they forgot about them. And Asriel... how Asriel could choose humans who hated him over her. When she cried for help, no one was there. When she was buried, no one was there. While she was trapped in that machine, no one was there. She could watch everyone, moving on without her, but no one was there for her.

Tara was right.

Her breath became more shallow and raspy, and she could feel her SOUL weakening. Her DETERMINATION was slowly diminishing. She couldn't fuel her anger and lust for revenge while in his arms, not like this. Far from it. She felt... loved. With this stupid music box song in the background and the warmth of Asriel's fur against her, all her ill feelings seemed to fade. Instead, she could only hold back the tears and grasp unto a concerned Asriel. Her hands grasped the furs on the side of his cheeks, bringing his head down unto hers so that she could nuzzle his snout. She could feel his warm breaths against her, the tip of her nose gently brushing against his before leaning back and poking his nose with her finger tip. "...best friends... forever."

A few feet away, Arial sat with the two boys and Papyrus in her arms. Behind them were the umbrellas, slowly rolling as a very light wind pass by the cave. "SANS... PROMISE ME YOU WON'T BE LIKE YOUR FATHER?" Arial asked, noticing the lazy smile disappear from his face. Instead, a serious look seemed to be embedded on his skull. "i promise." The tall skeleton smiled, turning to Grillby who felt out of place. "AND YOU, PROMISE ME YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF MY SANS. I KNOW HE WORKS TOO HARD, EVEN WITH THAT LAZY ATTITUDE."

Grillby perked up, nodding. "Will do, mam'. I will try my hardest."

The three of them smiled in silence, until the goat's whimpers startled them.

"C-C-Chara? Wake up, Chara? Please wake up!"

Holding her in his arms, he shook her but her body had gone limp. Asriel held his breath, shaking her body gently in hopes that it was a bad joke and that she'd open her eyes, but instead her pale, sleeping face stayed still. He leaned over her, his golden locket intertwining with hers as continued to shake her gently. "Don't leave me, Chara! Please!" he cried, but instead her head fell back with that same expression.

Without noticing, a red SOUL slowly came out of her chest, floating in between their bodies and glowing dimly. Its core was pitch black with thin veins reaching out to the outtermost of the SOUL, but a white layer seemed to top its outter layer. When Asriel had noticed it, he leaned away and had gently laid Chara on the floor, staring at her damaged SOUL. He could see a few black veins slowly regressing back to its black core, while other veins stayed put. He turned to the three monsters who had been staring the whole time, his eyes wide with shock.

"YOUR LOCKET IS GLOWING." Arial managed to say, poiting to Asriel's golden locket which ahd begun to glow, along with Chara's. Sans quickly hugged his mother. "we're going home. It's a SAVE point." he whispered, holding tightly while his little brother looked at him with surprise in between Sans and Arial.

Asriel shook his head. "I DON'T WANT TO BE A FLOWER!" he cried out, tears streaming down as the light in both lockets engulfed the room.

When the flash was gone, Ariel looked around the empty room where two lockets remained and she, stood alone with Papyrus in her arms. The trip back to the castle was a lonely one with only Papyrus crying out every so often.

She was greeted by chaos in the CORE and a weeping Toriel. Explosions down in the labs. Gaster was gone. Steamy was in urgent care. Bombarded by questions and grief, Arial could only nod. After finally being left alone with her best friend Toriel, only then, could Arial break down in tears and explain what had happened to everyone. Their world wouldn't be the same, huh?

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Double Vision**

Gets the Best of Me

/*/*/ Double Vision- Foreigner /*/*/

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Frisk's eyes opened momentarily as a figure slumped down beside her on her bed. It wasn't tall, so it couldn't be Papyrus. Her hand gently reached for the blob and felt a familiar fabric which was Sans' jacket. "...Sans?" she asked with a yawn, tired from today's battle with Muffet. She had come home right after her musical number with Mettaton, totally tired and worn out from her previous fight. She had taken two baths in order to get rid of the web stuck on her hair! She was exhausted! And Sans was no where to be found.

But... now he was here. Sleeping. Beside her. Before she could question his whereabouts, his loud snores silenced her. With her weary eyes drooping down, her head fell back into her pillow and she fell asleep once more.

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Twirling around, Flor continued her ballerina exercises while her brother sat in the back with his phone out and his shades lowered down. Flor knew that when it was her turn to shine, his eyes were on her, watching her with a brotherly pride. But when he wasn't watching her... he was stuck to that phone with such a menacing look!

When class was over, her brother approached her with a smile. "Magnifico! Superb! You dance great, little sis," he beamed, turning to look at the teacher whose smile had suddenly disappeared. "Ave maria... t-t-tu hermano?" (Sweet Mary... y-y-your brother?) She asked Flor with a nervous smile as she took two steps away from Fernando.

With a nod, Flor grinned. "Es Fernando!"

Fernando extended his hand, smiling. "Buenas Tardes, Miss. Gracias por enseñar a mi hermana as ser una buena ballerina." (Good afternoon, Miss. Thanks for teaching my sister to be a good ballerina.)

Flor grinned, looking up to her teacher who hesitated to shake his hand, but did nonetheless. Without any other words exchanged, her teacher fled away. Flor didn't understand why everyone was scared of her brother.

Outside the classroom, Flor quickly caught up to the same group of students from before, minus a few kids whose parents had quickly taken them away when she approached. "Hola Juan," (Hello Juan) she said with fluttering eyes, her hands toying with the bun of hair on her head.

The copper headed boy gave her a sly smile, his eyes sliding up behind her where her older brother slowly approached. "Is he your brother?" He asked with a perfect English accent. Beside him, two girls and a boy looked at him with confused eyes. Flor's heart quickened. None of their friends knew English except the two of them.

"Yes!" She squealed, jumping in place and presenting her brother. "This is my brother Fernando. H-He's... visit? Visit from North?" She asked, her tongue twisting and unable to know if she had said it correctly.

Fernando looked down at the boy who was slightly taller than Flor. His green eyes sparkled with mischief as they locked eyes—immediately Fernando didn't like this boy. "Ah! Welcome back, step brother. Your sister speaks a lot about you." Juan smiled as he held out his hand.

Flor squealed, looking at the two girls who looked at her with jealousy. The most handsome boy was all hers, and he liked her back! She couldn't wait until her birthday party! Juan had promised her the best birthday gift ever!

Fernando hand stopped just before shaking the small boys, his gut aching as though this was a bad idea. Something wasn't right about this boy. How did he know perfect English? More importantly... why was he so level headed when everyone seemed to know who he was?

Shaking his hand, Juan smirked and winked towards Flor who blushed wildly. "Alright, that's enough Romeo! That's my sister, you respect her, eh, ese?!" Fernando growled, taking one step closer and noticing that the other children had backed away, all except for the green eyed boy.

Flor gasped, shaking her head. "F-Fernando! That's Juan... he's really cool, don't worry! L-Lets go to my waltzing class, okay?" She asked, her small hands tugging on Fernando's jacket.

Reluctantly, Fernando began to walk away with Flor leading him, his eyes watching as that Juan kid smiled and waved in his karate uniform before walking away with his group of friends.

Waltz class was an easy breeze, but Fernando couldn't stop thinking about that green eyed kid. Something was really wrong. He had been on his phone all throughout the class, researching what he could about Flor's little friends, but that Juan kid was elusive. No information about him.

Flor had gone into the locker room to change. Dialing a number real quick, he awaited for Uncle Juju to pick up. "Hm? Que pasa, mijo?" (Hm? What's wrong, m'child?) answered Uncle Juju on the other line.

"Uncle Juju? Ey, have you heard about this Juan guy? He's a friend of Flor's. I tried searching him up, but nothing comes up. I got a bad feeling about him, bro." Fernando stared in a low voice, looking around and making sure no one was eavesdropping on him.

On the other line, the uncle's voice got deeper. "Really? I never really gave it'ah thought'ta look up a kid. What'd the punk do?"

Fernando sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's a brother instinct, I got a really bad feeling, okay? Actually, can you find out who Don Gustavo's youngest grandson? I think they got the same eyes."

The other line went silent. Fernando listened intently, not knowing he had disturbed the peace. "M'hijo, be careful. I have a feeling that family is going to cross us. Don't do business with them, and if that kid really is a relative of theirs, you better keep yourself and Flor away from him." Uncle Juju warned him.

Fernando bit his lip. "...I'll keep Flor safe. Talk to you later."

Clearing his throat, he watched as a freshened up Flor skipped towards him. "Let's go home!" She grinned, grasping unto her backpack. But instead of received his usual grins, Flor noticed that Fernando looked pre-occupied with something in his mind.  
"Hm? Y-Yeah, right after I finish an extra job that came up." He replied.

Flor frowned a bit, noticing that her brother seemed to walk stiffer. "But you promised to finish the last two and then no more." She replied with a disappointed voice.

Her brother only continued to walk, paying no mind to her. He had completely ignored her. Crossing her arms, Flor walked a bit irritated.

Inside the car, Flor played around with his phone under the strict conditions that she would only play with the music player. She had been listening to his 80's Playlist the entire time, not noticing that her brother had stopped the car and had left her while he walked to an alley. She sighed, looking out the window but seeing only shadows of a lot of people. Just what was her brother doing?

 _"_ _Never do more than I, I really need_  
 _My mind is racing, but my body's in the lead_  
 _Tonight's the night, I'm gonna push it to the limit_  
 _I'll live all of my years in a single minute!"_

Flor breathed in, opening the door and stepping outside. She pressed 'Pause' on the player as she slowly walked up to the gathering of men. There were several men in black, along with someone dressed in fancy white clothes. He looked a bit older than Fernando, with blonde hair and a goatee. His eyes were a shade of green, a really pretty green like Juan's.

Several of the men in black looked a bit familiar, probably henchmen that worked for her family. When Fernando noticed her, his face had gotten pale. "Go back!" He shouted, turning his head to look at her momentarily.

Flor's eyes glimmered with tears, her body shaking as she instead took several footsteps closer.

The man in white laughed with a deep rumbling voice. "She's a troublemaker, no? The hidden gem of the Gomez Family. It'd be a shame if she got hurt."

Taking several steps back, Fernando pushed Flor behind his body. "Threats like that are going to land your family in hot water, Gabriel. I'd watch your tongue..." Fernando snarled with a surge of over protectiveness for his little sister. Flor on the other hand, trembled behind her brother, noticing the evil looks on the man in white and the men in black that were beside him. Her hand squeezed the phone, accidentally pushing 'Play'.

 _"Fill my eyes with that double vision_  
 _No disguise for that double vision_  
 _Ooh, when it gets through to me, it's always new to me_  
 _My double vision always seems to get the best of me, the best of me, yeah"_

Fernando's hand rested on his belt where his hidden gun resided. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like his ringtone coming from behind, and in that moment of distraction, Gabriel pulled out his gun and began to fire. In a blur, men began to shoot at each other while Fernando pulled out his gun and aimed at Gabriel.

Flor screamed.

Everything had happened so fast.

Flor was on the floor and beside her was Fernando with in his chest but continuing to fire at the man in white. He was laying on the floor, trying to sit up and keep his little sister behind him. Suddenly, a splash of blood. Flor's eyes were wide, her lips trembling as she slowly looked down and began to hyperventilate from seeing the color red splashed onto her clothes and her neck. Beside her, a convulsing body twitched, blood cascading down upon her and Fernando as a result from a vein being hit.

Flor screamed again.

 _"Ooh, double vision, I need double vision_  
 _It takes me out of my head, takin' me out of my head_  
 _I get my double vision_  
 _Oh, seeing double double_  
 _Oh, I have double vision, yeah, I'm getting double vision"_

Fernando moved his body to the left, his shoulder swinging back as pain filled the bone where his shoulder and arm connected. A real bullet had finally hit him and not his bulletproof vest. "CALL UNCLE JUJU!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his left arm grabbing more ammo. If he got up, he was done for. Their bodyguards were taking heat, but he needed to get Flor to safety.

He could hear the dial tone ringing alongside the music. "S-shit! Turn off the music, Flor!" He shouted, trying to crawl back but his little sister was staring at the dead body beside them with horror in her eyes. "Damnit Flor!" He gritted his teeth, beginning to stand up now that their bodyguards were forming a sort of wall of cover. Picking her up with his right arm and a pistol in his hand, he tried to carry her but a bullet pierced his leg, causing him to fall.

Flor landed a foot away, her hands trembling as she stared at the phone and pistol only a few inches apart from each other. She looked at her brother who was in pain, sitting up and looking towards the fight with frightened eyes. Blood from the dead body covered his face and dripped down his eyebrows as his eyes tried to focus on the black blobs that had sudden begun to fall down.

Another bullet hit his chest, but did not penetrate. Another. Another.

Another hit his leg.

Cringing in pain, Fernando crawled back, trying his best to focus and regain himself but his body was in pain. He had never been shot.

Behind him, Flor reached for the phone and pistol, listening to Uncle Juju's voice coming from the phone. Her chest heaved and her hands shook while she cried. "Mama!" She cried, her head hurting from the smell of gunpowder and blood.

She watched as the man in white picked up her brother by his collar with a single hand, then repeatedly punched him until she couldn't recognize his face when his limp body fell down on her legs.

Flor screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her hand with the pistol shook as she looked at this evil man dressed in white blood stained clothes, his hands littered with rings and blood and breathing hard from the beatdown he had given his brother.

"Take 'er." He breathed out, his head tilting towards her.

Her breath hitched, her both of her hands holding the pistol as she tried to steady it and aim it at the man in white. She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The man in white laughed, taking a few steps forward, kicking aside Fernando's legs.

Closing her eyes, her fingers pulled the trigger.

A loud 'thud' hit the ground beside Fernando, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the man in white dead with a hole right in between his eyes.

 _She did that._

Her eyes were wide, staring at the man before she looked at the other men in black who had stared at their boss in shock.

Finally, one of them pulled out his gun, running towards her.

Quickly, she aimed it at him and shot away, aiming at everyone that came towards her.

Two men had fallen down in pain before someone had hit her head with the blunt end of a gun.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk screamed, sitting up on her bed. She looked around the darkroom, her hands shaking as her eyes fluttered, her mind racing with what she had just dreamt.

 _She did that._

She took shallow breaths, her hands grabbing her head and she shook it. "No, no, no, no, no!" She whispered to herself, her hands grasping her hairs and almost pulling them off.

"hey, hey, hey! calm down kiddo, it was just a nightmare. shh, don't worry... i'm here. just lay your head down, and think about... dogs. think about fluffy white annoying dogs, and spaghetti..." Sans whispered as his hand slowly pushed Frisk back unto the bed. She stared at him with wide eyes that looked beyond frightened. "I killed someone." She whispered with broken eyes, but instead of repulsion, Sans only kissed her forehead and held her until she fell back to sleep. She had awoken later to drink a cup of tea made by Sans before falling asleep again with Sans _and_ Papyrus in her bed, comforting her.

The next day, Frisk was back to normal, and her memory had been forgotten.

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Puppybarks!

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Hey guys, super sorry about the super-mega-long delay. Life, what can I say. I've gotten busy. I don't think I'll be able to make the monthly posts, but I'll try. They might be posted on Sundays though. I'll try to make it every month or so, but the story is almost coming a close. I might hold off on those sequels, since my life is getting busy. Which is a shame since I left a lot of holes for the sequels lol.

Anyways, I was planning on having an actual musical part in this chapter, but with being busy and the pressure of getting something posted, well, it's hard to come up with catchy lyrics.

I'm thinking I have one more chapter before I start on the endings. I guess I should start with the neutral one.

Also, sorry about the last chapter, I looked over it and I saw a lot of it got chopped off because apparently underscores connected to dot exe doesn't fly on fanfiction, so I'll have to edit that chapter later.

Hopefully this chapter wasn't too long (but I bet it was) and well... I dunno. I started this fanfic because of some crazy idea in my head after going to a convention, I can't believe it got views o.O; Let alone, that it got so big in my head. We'll see what the future holds. Sorry again if the chapters are dark. Although this fanfic seems to revolve around Frisk, it actually revolves more around Chara and how she's sucked into this symbiosis of sorts with a girl who's the complete opposite of her. Here's to writing that fluffy *love ending xD

Puppy

P.S. Lightly proof read. Sorry, if its got mistakes.


	12. Dia de los Muertos

A/N: I wanted to post this on Undertale's Birthday, but I've been too busy to finish it in time. Happy super belated birthday, Undertale! Love, PvW.

Also, this is the last chapter before the *endings*. Cliffhanger imminent.

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Chapter 12: Dia de los Muertos

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Papyrus had awoken early in the morning, looking over little Frisk who had cried in her sleep last night. She was really screaming a lot! She said she... _killed_ someone. Was that true? Sans said it was a nightmare. Naturally, he was startled in his sleep by her wailing cries so he had come to help out. Sans had gone to get golden flower tea which seems to be relaxing. Making up another lullaby, along with the tea, and she was sleeping like a baby bones.

Walking downstairs, he realized that a lot of these weird things seemed to be happening and they all somehow seemed to be connected. His nightmares, talking flowers, Sans being weird-They had to make sense together somehow!

Still in his pijamas, Papyrus turned on the kitchen light. His night cap (which happened to be heart shaped human boxers) was put down on the kitchen counter and his slippers lightly stepped as he gathered the spaghetti ingrediants. He was going to try harder this time! To make the perfect get-well spaghetti! "NYEH! SHE WILL FEEL BETTER IN NO TIME, OR MY NAME'S NOT THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND IT IS!" he told himself, his voice pumping with confidence.

As time passed, Undyne soon joined him and began her usual breakfast routine. Eggs and pancakes. "...Is Frisk alright? I heard all the screaming last night, man, I didn't get my usual sleep." she asked with a yawn, almost tripping on her own feet as she made her way across the kitchen for the milk.

"SHE'S OKAY RIGHT NOW, BUT SHE'LL FEEL BETTER IN NO TIME WITH MY SPECIAL PAPYRUS SPAGHETTI! MADE WITH EXXXTRA LOVE TODAY, NYEH HEH HEH!" beamed Papyrus, stirring the pot with as much love as he could.

Undyne winced, yawning again as her arm flew up and her hand grasped the handle on the fridge. "Paps, it's too early for this." she moaned with a weary tone, turning to the skeleton who hummed and stirred with extra enthusiasm. What was she gonna do? Snap at him for being himself? With a sigh, she opened the fridge and got the jug of milk.

After a good hour, the first body to descend down from the stairs was Frisk. She tumbled to the kitchen, her coordination with her feet terrible. She yawned and approached the two monsters with mellow eyes which she kept rubbing. "Papy? What's cookin'?" she asked with another yawn as she looked up.

Undyne glanced down, noticing that she seemed to be slouching just a little, but other than that, Frisk looked normal. The three eventually sat down to eat spaghetti, eggs and pancakes with golden flower tea. Sans seemed to have gotten fresh golden flowers last night, it'd be a waste not to use them.

Undyne eventually left to go oversee the rest of the Royal Guards while Papyrus had taken a personal day off to clean the house which had accumilated filth over the course of having Undyne and Sans in the same living space. Between the two... jeeze, the dust, socks and broken items sure did accumilate!

Frisk had gone up stairs, taken a bath and gotten ready for her adventure. Papyrus had been feeding Sans' pet rock when she came running downstairs with that big grin on her face. "I'm so close to going home, Papy! It's almost been a year... It's almost Halloween and Dia de los Muertos!" she exclaimed, jumping up with her arms in the air.

Papyrus put down the jar of sprinkles, and stared at the human with confusion. "WHAT'S A HALLOW WEEN AND... DEEAA DII LAS MUEERTOEES?" he asked, his hand scratching his skull, but being careful not to knock off his night hat.

Frisk beamed, twirling around. "Halloween is a day where humans go trick or treating, and, and, human children dress up as monsters, and, and, and then we go from house to house, and we say 'Trick or Treat' and we get candy! We also pray for the angelitos that day, then the next day is Dia de los Muertos. That day we pray for the angels and our relatives. We sing and dance and put bread and sweets and everything they liked on their graves because that's when they come back to say hi even though we don't see them. Then the next day, the spirits leave. I came here the first of November. I... don't remember why."

Papyrus squat down to her level, noticing that her happiness had suddenly dwindled. "AH, YOU FELL DOWN, LITTLE HUMAN. I'M GLAD YOU FELL, I GOT TO MEET YOU AND TOGETHER WE'LL FREE THE UNDERGROUND, RIGHT?" he asked with a smile that grew as she smiled.

"Oh yeah! Hehe, thanks Papy. I should get going! I'll be back later, okay! Don't eat all the spaghetti!" She giggled and waved, running out the door. As the door closed behind her, Sans walked downstairs with a yawn. "she left already? is she okay?" he asked. "WHY CERTAINLY SHE'S OKAY! I'M GOING TO CONDUCT A TWO DAY HUMAN FESTIVAL IN THE FUTURE, I AM VERY BUSY NOW, NYEH HEH HEH! CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR SOCK, WILL YOU? I HAVE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO MAKE!"

With that, Papyrus had ran up the stairs and into his room. Sans on the other hand, had walked downstairs and looked out his window where Frisk seemed to be squatting down, looking at something.

Before making her way towards the riverbank, Frisk noticed a peculiar purple flower on the opposite side of the house. She had never noticed this pretty flower. Walking towards it, she realized it was definitely new. It had a nice smell too! She bent down and stared at it, inhaling the smell as she closed her eyes.

"purple suits ya, kid." Sans spoke with one eyesocket closed, the other one looking down on Frisk who had been startled. "It's really pretty! It smells really good too," she replied, motioning Sans to sit down just as she did. Upon closer inspection, Sans could feel the nostalgia flow through his veins as the familiar scent of his mother hypnotized his senses. This was her flower. What in the heck-WHERE in the heck did this flower come from? They only grew on the big ol' tree in the RUINS.

"...it's dying..." whispered Frisk as her hands gently touched the wilting leaves as delicately as she could, turning to Sans who seemed to snap out of his train of thought. "knock, knock." he gently said, turning to Frisk who looked at him with large eyes. "...who's there?" she asked with a playful smile. "...flower." Sans replied, his smile growing bigger the more he realized Frisk seemed to have returned to normal. "...flower who?" she asked, her face scrunching up as though trying to figure out what the joke would be. "...flower you today, sweetpea?"

A light blush crossed Frisk as she grinned. Sans smiled, tilting his head back as he remembered the first time he heard that joke. Arial had told him that one. Each and every word. It had been the day he had noticed his science experiment had disappeared, the one he had worked so hard on in order to impress his dadster. He remembered it brougth a smile to his face. It felt nice to see that ol' joke work on Frisk.

Frisk looked back at the house. "Sans, do you think we could save the flower if we put it in a flower pot?" she asked, glancing back at the dying purple flower. "eh? you wanna try and save it? it might die if we move it..." he answered, thinking back to the days when he and Asriel would play in the gardens _before_ Chara. Back when it was their thing. Well, it was certainly doable, but would it work? The look in Frisk's eyes made Sans determined to save that flower now. "...but we can certainly try. go look underneath the sink and all the dog bones, there should be a shovel and a bucket. we can place it there for now, tonight we can make it a flower pot, got it?" Sans added, noticing the glimmer of hope in her eyes as she nodded and ran back into the house.

The arid landscape of Snowdin was not fit to welcome such a delicate flower. The barren earth beneath him would only aid in the flower's death, Sans was sure. Perhaps soil from the swamps? Maybe he could find old volcanic ash...

Coming back from the house, Frisk held the shovel and the bucket, putting the bucket down and impailing the shovel on the ground when Sans jumped. "woah! hey there, take it easy. uh, howz'about i take care of the flower and you continue your journey? i'll meet ya at MTT resort, okay?"

Frisk let go of the shovel, slightly emberassed in that the shovel almost fell down on the flower. She nodded and ran off, leaving Sans with a shovel and a bucket. After removing all the snow around the flower, his phone began to ring.

"...'ello?" he answered.

"Sans? Hey, I got a phone call from Papyrus. What are you dressing up as?" asked Grillby on the other line, the sizzling of burgers in the background.

Sans aligned the shovel and struct the hard earth, pushing his foot down so that the shovel could penetrate deep in the ground, just enough to properly move the flower. "...dressing up? uh... **fill** me in, buddy." he replied with a slight snicker as he moved the soil along with the flower unto the bucket.

"The Halloween Festival? Or Day of the Dead Festival? I don't know what Papyrus said honestly. Just that we were supposed to dress up and have a party. I was thinking of dressing up as a cowboy."

On the other line, Sans had dropped the shovel and had begun to walk towards the woods with the bucket held by his right hand. "oh... well, i guess i could dress up as a cat. you think i'll get away with sleepin' through the whole sheebang?" asked Sans as his left eye glowed blue.

On the other line, Grillby pressed down on the patty. "A cat? Well, I suppose so, but are you really going to sleep through it? This is pretty much the last time we might see Frisk before she... does whatever she's going to do, and whatever happens, well, happens."

Sans opened his eye sockets, looking around the dark room before turning on the lights. "eh, i guess you're right. this is the first time any of this has happened. in all the timelines, frisk has never stayed this long in the underground. she's usually gone in the within the first or second month, weeks usually. i never really knew the kid, i didn't even know they had eyes before any of this, let alone a smile, heh." Sans replied, walking through the cramped room where stacks upon stacks of papers seemed to be littered around. He walked to the very back where most of the machinery had been moved. His eyes scanned around, trying to find something that could help him.

Grillby hummed, lifting the patty with a spatula and placing it on a bun. "...what do you think happened to Chara? She _died_ in that other timeline or whatever it was. Are we going to restart when we go back?" asked Grillby, noticing that Sans had stopped shuffling on the other line and he had gone quiet.

"the other alternate world is its own thing. chara's among us, somewhere, probably hiding. if we go back, we're going back to that same spot. she saved. her SOUL didn't burst or crack, it SAVED. whatever happens, well... we screwed them over, grillbz. gaster's a monster there too, the labs must be a mess, and steamy..."

Grillby finished putting together the order, inhaling a quick breath of air when Sans had mentioned Steamy. She was left alone with that monster. Chara had mentioned the worst case would be that she had been turned to dust. "Hey Sans, come by around 2 P.M. The bar is usually quiet for about an hour. We can brainstorm ideas, there has to be something we could do."

Sans heard a click soon after, and he put away his phone. Finding no machines that would help out the dying flower, he picked up a dusty cabinet with the name 'Misty' inscribed in tiny letters. She had told him about it, told him the combination. With the bucket in one hand and the cabinet leviating behind him, he proceeded to go back to his old home where he was sure there were pots and small garden shovels.

When the elevator opened, Sans walked through the dimly lit hallway. The lights were flickering on and off, probably caused by Alphys' meddling. She had diverted a lot of the power towards the L9 labs, which meant most of the floors had little to no power. The deserted floor was covered in dust, and actual dust bunnies seemed to roll by as he walked.

He came to a stop in front of his old home, looking down at the old 'Welcome' mat which was covered in layers upon layers of grime. Beside the door was a large pot with a long stick inside dried up soil. It was much too large for this little flower, but it was certainly tempting to take this big pot. His left eye flickered, and the cabinet fell down behind him. His hand let go of the bucket gently, placing it on the other side of the door as his other hand trembled at the thought of going back inside his old home. A wave of panic rattled his bones, fear that Gaster would be waiting on the other side to take him back down into the labs.

Behind him, a large skull began to manifest. Fear coming from his subconcious summoned his faithful companion, and the giant Gaster Blaster simply floated beside him and nudged him. Nudged him ever so gently. Its blue beam began to concetrate inside its jaw, and soon enough what appeared to be a tongue licked the back of Sans' head. A dog whine.

Sweat rolled down his forehead. Empty eyesockets. It had taken several minutes for Sans to digest what had just happened. Several Gaster Blaster licks later, Sans had finally reacted with surprise, turning to his old pet. Even with that deformed shape, Sans could see the worry inside of Rex's eyesockets. Why was he panicing? Gaster was dead. Rex should be the one scared right now, he was turned into a serum for crying out loud!

Taking a deep breath, Sans steeled himself. His hand reached for keypad, pressing the numeric lock until it beeped twice. Hovering over the door knob, his palm finally touched the cold brass and turned it until he heard a familiar 'click'. Pushing the door, he could smell the dried up golden flowers. He took two steps forward, his hand quickly reaching for the light switch but realizing that the power was gone. Just great.

After a good half hour, Sans was able to divert power to his old home. Rex had been following him, probably intrigued by their old home. Granted, it was draining him. Slowly, but surely. At least now Sans understood that Rex could manifest and stay in his plane of existance so long as he didn't use his beam. That beam exhausted his stay, which was why Rex would usually disappear after firing.

The first thing Sans noticed inside his home was the stack of old science magazines on the coffee table. They had accumulated after his... _disinterest_ in science. The next thing Sans had noticed was the empty plate Papyrus had left on the floor. He had eaten spaghetti right before they left this old home.

Sans went ahead and let himself fall on the old couch, coughing as the dust attacked his face. In the corner of the room, Rex whined as it floated in front of its old food bowls, turning to Sans. Finding the short skeleton fast asleep, the floating skull could only make a circle and let itself fall on the floor in front of its old bowls.

After a good four hour nap, Sans had awoken with just enough energy to search his home for the forgotten garden shovel and any small pots. With Rex following him around, it wasn't as lonely of a job as he had originally thought. He had managed to found his old garden shovel, but it seems that the old pots were no where to be found-just vases. Other than that, he did find a lot of painful memoriablia, Arial's cat ears and fake tail, as well as an old bag of dog food. Rex seemed particularly interested in that.

Without giving it much thought, Sans walked over to the old bowls and opened the dog food. Tiny flies swarmed out, but the food still looked... edible he supposed. "oh hey, its your old squeaky toy." he whispered as the food fell down into the bowl along with a long squeaky bone that fell unto the floor.

Sans moved out of the way as the big skull swooshed on over to the corner, panting as it reached for the food, then vanished.

Well.. that was unexpected. Turning over to the wall clock, he realized that it was long dead. It was probably about time he headed over to MTT Resort. Walking out of his old home with all the items he had procurred, he turned off the lights and locked the door. One flashing blue eye later, he was in his personal lab, leaving scattered about all the items he had taken with him. The big potted dead plant, the cat costume, the shovel, the squeaky toy, and the locked cabinet, all these things just scattered. Eh... he'll just sort them out later. Off, to MTT Resort!

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the back alley. Good. He walked out of it as casually as he could, with his hands in his pockets and his lazy grin embeded into his skull. Sure enough, Frisk eventually found herself here after an afternoon of spending time with MK and Blooky, most probably. Sans had Frisk all figured out by now. He should probably have a good talk with MK if he kept getting close to his little munchkin. Eh, they're kids.

He walked to the other side of the resort, knowing that the local shop usually had interesting items. "sup gals," he greeted, slowly making his way to the counter. "Hey Sans!" the two monsters greeted together. The cat smiled and moved her hair a bit. "What's up?" she asked, while her friend nodded. "Yeah, we haven't seen you around much!"

Sans leaned against the counter, crosing his arms. "been busy, you know, several jobs, taking care of a human... tough work ladies."

The crocodile giggled, looking away. "We heard about the human. Been hearing she might appear around here soon, and that she's bound to cross the core. Are you looking forward to seeing the surface?" she asked, her claws playing with her blonde hair.

Sans' grin slowly got a bit smaller, trying to keep his cool. "kid's got a strong heart. she'll save us and herself, you'll see. i believe in 'er." he replied, slowly gazing at the two shop keepers who had turned serious in a matter of seconds.

"Sans..." began Catty, turning to Bratty who looked back at her with slight anxiousness. "...isn't it your job to like," added Bratty, staring at Catty nod. "...to like, capture a human's SOUL?" Catty bit her lip for a moment, turning to Bratty who added a question of her own. "Don't you like, wanna see the surface? We just need one more SOUL, and like,"

Sans looked at the two gals, trying to keep his lazy grin on. No one had ever seen him without a grin, and they would never. Catty sighed, adding to Bratty's line. "King Asgore is super strong, and if no one else captures the human SOUL, _he will_."

Several awkward minutes passed between the two girls and the grinning skeleton. His grin could only intensify their sudden urge of fear. What was going through his mind? Why did he always grin? Doesn't he ever stop grinning, was it a permenant look?

Sans inhaled slowly. "...what's wrong, catty, **cat** got your tongue?" he asked with a sudden snicker, turning to Bratty. "expecting **crocodile** tears? just joking gals, you know i'm a laid back kind of guy. no harm done, you just haven't met frisk. she'll grow on ya."

With those simple words exchanged, Sans pushed his back off the counter and buried his hands in his pockets as he walked away.

After standing around almost an hour, he watched as the little girl wandered with her eyes staring at the entrance of MTT Resort. No doubt, she was probably mesmerized by the urban feel to it.

As she approached, Catty and Bratty's words rang in the back of his head. Of course he did his job several times in the most brutal way possible after breaking his promise to the good lady behind the door. That lady's promise was what held him back all this time. He _hated_ breaking promises. He couldn't help it if he had a knack for science; breaking promises like his father was the last straw. That was what set him and Gaster apart.

"Hi Sans!" Frisk chimed, smiling as she looked at him who looked back at her with his lazy grin but conflicted eye sockets. "hey. i heard you're going to the core. how about grabbing dinner with me first?" he asked absentmindedly. The same line. He remembers this is the same line. Why did he always say the same line?

Frisk beamed, jumping up and down. "Yeah! Let's get dinner," she winked with a giggle as her elbow gently nudged him.

Sans looked down, his grin growing. **"this kid's a charmer. geese, i might need to talk to monster kid after all."** he thought to himself as he began to walk. "great, thanks for treating me. ...over here, i know a short cut."

The two sat on the chairs and had ordered glamburgers, while they conversed. It was different. Normally, they'd just sit down without any food.

Yet, here they were again. Same dialogue, no matter how much Sans tried to change it. It always came out the same. He sipped on some milk because drinking ketchup here was gross apparently. Leaning back, he inhaled as he continued his normal speech.

"do you get what i'm saying?" he asked, looking away, knowing with a heavy heart what the next line was. Did she?

He glanced over to the little girl who leaned forward with large eyes. She had called that lady 'mom' and 'my second mother', none of which she had ever said. Actually, she never interrupted him. She'd always have that blank expression, but right now she seemed so natural.

He sighed, his bones feeling stiff and the lights in his eye sockets growing dimmer. "that promise i made to her... you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything? buddy..."

Sans could feel the intense eyes on him, but he couldn't bring himself to looking at her, not now. Would he ever? Slowly, his eyes crept towards her, his chest oozing with pain as the sight of her confused eyes looked upon him. Quick flashes of previous timelines came to his mind-bones and blood spread all across the Judgement Hall. Papyrus' scarf. Dust in the wind, blowing all across Snowdin. Spread across the swamp. Glittering in the scorching heat of Hotland. Crowds of monsters flooding the ancient labs for shelter.

His dimmed eyes vanished as the image of little Frisk with red glowing eyes and a wicked grin stared back at him as the lights passed through the painted windows. Those small hands gripping a knife and bringing it up as she ran to him with dust covered clothes. Bones flying. Gaster Blasters appearing and disappearing. His hand rising and falling, moving from side to side as it flung the body against the walls until her HP dropped to 1. Her body covered in red liquid, her cheeks flustered and glowing pink as she huffed. Not a single sweat on him, and she, she was a mess. His grin only grew as he walked to her, his left hand picking up the child by the collar and bringing it close his face while his right hand held a sharp bone.

"... Y..o..u..'d b..e d..e..a..d w..h..e..r..e y..o..u s..t..a..n..d." he whispered as he closed his eyesockets, the image of him stabbing her in the back vivid in his mind. The first time Chara had taken full control. The cringe worthy smile she gave him as she drew her last breath and her eyes rolled back. Had the lady at the door never made him promise, Frisk would have died the instant he saw her. He had the power to do so. It would have avoided this mess but...

Exhaling slowly, he opened his eyes and realized that Frisk looked at him with fear in her eyes. She looked just as stiff as he was, and those eyes condemned him somehow. Why would he ever hurt such an innocent kid? What had she done to him, other than make him care again? All she did was bring a smile to his face, he now understood that. Chara was the one who corrupted her. Chara was behind all this. Chara deserved those deaths, not her.

...Would Frisk ever forgive him? Would she look at him with fear just like she was doing right now? He wouldn't be able to live with that guilt if they all made it out of this horrible loop.

"hey, lighten up, bucko! i'm just joking with you." he winked, his grin and eyes returning. Relief washed over him when she cracked a smile. "...besides, haven't i done a great job of protecting you? i mean, look at yourself. you haven't died a single time." he winked once more, noticing that she made a face. So she remembers dying... d-d-did she remember the other timelines?

"hey, what's that look supposed to mean?" he asked with his usual grin, trying to contain his sudden anxiety. "am i wrong...?" he asked, noticing that Frisk crossed her arms and gave a sigh. "N-no, I haven't died." she said as she breathed in. She forgot that no one remembers when she LOADS.

"heh."

Frisk looked up, noticing that Sans had gotten up and had begun to walk away. "W-wait! Don't go! We still need to finish the burgers! Please?" she asked, her eyes growing wider.

Oh no. The puppy dog eyes. Not the eyes.

Shrugging, the small skeleton walked back and sat down. "what can i say, i guess i'll **throw you a bone**."

Frisk smiled and it grew into a grin as she heard a 'ba dun tss' in the background. The two continued to chatter about dogs and Frisk's fascination with cats. She used to have a pet cat, she said; called her kitty, she remembered. Her mom was allergic to dogs. Scared to ask her about her dreams, Sans only nodded and changed the subject quickly. Somehow, his conversation about her vitamins only brought up more of her past.

"Dr. Goodman was a nice doctor," she said smiling as she finished the last of her glamburger. "I always got a lollipop after my appointment. I used to go a lot, my momma was really worried." she added, taking a sip of her iced golden flower tea.

Before Sans could try to change the subject yet again, her hand had reached for his and she looked at him with big eyes. "I remember the town! Dr. Goodman had his house and we'd go in and it was a clinic. Was I really sick?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing down. "...I... I can't remember why. Sans, why do I forget so easy? I want to remember the surface, I want to know why something is telling me I'm forgetting something important. Do you know what I'm forgetting?" she pleaded, her hand squeezing the bones on his palm.

The skeleton before her looked at her with a small grin that seemed to twitch as though trying to grow big but being unable to. "well uh, you know kid. it's uh... your one year anniversary! you fell down almost a year ago, that's what you're forgetting. you're forgetting that you uh, were partying really hard up in the surface, and uh, you never got to uh, perform your big dance recital." Sans mustered up, trying to tie in a bit of truth. From previous converstations, she did say she was supposed to have this dance thing, and it didn't happen, and her birthday party.

Frisk let go of his hand, sitting back and blinking a few times with her mouth agape. "Oh... I think your right. Maybe I should hurry, maybe someone is waiting for me in the surface." she said in a hurry, getting up when Sans had suddenly shook his head. "no! wait, no, you shouldn't do that. take your time kid, what if... what if we never get to see you again after you leave?"

Frisk turned to the flustered skeleton who looked down as his hand slowly fell unto the table. His hand soon reached for his jacket's pocket and he took out his phone, placing it on the table. "it's hard to break the barrier, kid. if you can do it, and you leave, our phones can't reach out in the surface. we won't hear from you again."

As the child sat down, Sans could faintly recall calling her phone a few weeks after she had left the first time. It rang, which meant the phone had been left in the underground, but no one picked up. King Asgore, Undyne, and a couple of monsters had died. The underground was in a frenzy. The second time, King Asgore and Undyne were the only ones to die. The phone went straight to voice mail, and shortly after the call, she reset.

"Sans... you're like family." the little girl whispered, sitting back down. The grin on the skull grew. "...then stay a while. stay here just long enough for us to celebrate ya entering our lives."

There was a hesitation in her eyes, but she smiled nonetheless. "...okay Sans. I'll stay, but then I'm going to leave the next day. Someone must miss me back on the surface, I can't shake the feeling that something is pulling me to the surface." Frisk explained, her accent returning just slightly. She turned to her side, hoping she'd see Chara standing there but she had gone missing and she had yet to show up. She's been acting weird lately, and ever since she begged Frisk to let her join in the fun on the karaoke night at Grillby's, Chara has been missing. What happened to her?

Sans watched as she sighed, probably watching Chara or something. He was going to keep the end of his deal with Florence. If Frisk stays long enough, will everything really change? Will all these anamolies really come together and end this endless loop?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Grillby polished his glassware, smiling to himself as he saw the sparkle in the light. Spotless.

"sup grillbz." Sans' voice popped out of no where, causing the poor startled flamesman to drop his perfectly polished glass.

 _Crash_.

"uh... oops. scared ya, didn't i?" Sans chuckled nervously, his blue eye glowing as he dropped the locked cabinet next to the jukebox. With a sigh, Grillby could only nodd as he walked towards the broom in the corner and began to sweep. "If you could uh, not spontaniously appear before me, that'd be _great_. Just because I know more about you, doesn't mean you still don't scare the living flame out of me." Grillby chuckled, glancing at the dusty cabinet. "What's that, mate?" he asked, noticing that Sans had sat down and seemed to be punching in a series of numbers.

Sans focused, grinning widely when he heard a 'click'. "steamy gave me the code to her personal cabinet which has the passcodes to all the other cabinets in the labs. there might be important stuff in here too, like uh... hey, look at ya! and little fuku too! and... ew, your ex. **bitter** times, bro. uh... okay, sorry, that pun was uncalled for, but she really was **sour**." Sans said, falling to the side as Grillby rushed to his side and took the photos from his hand.

There, clear as day, was himself holding what looked like a small bundle and green flames-clearly that was Fuku. A few feet away from him was a green monster who looked mad, almost forced to be in the image. Her skin looked a bit goey, and with little bubbles. An acid monster, huh? Well, he could certainly see why he might have been smitten, with what those curves and-

"yo grillbz, look! thank goodness fuku got her looks from your side of the family."Sans laughed, passing him another picture where Steamy was a young adult and showing off little Fuku. She was beaming! The picture looked a bit foggy, but it was clear as day that Fuku certainly did have a lot of features that resembled that of flame people. No bubbles.

Grillby continued to examine the photographs while Sans moved on towards whatever else was in the cabinet. "I don't think I could ever tell Fuku she's my daughter." Grillby confessed, looking up and noticing that Sans had a serious expression on him.

"...She knew." he whispered, his eye sockets empty and his voice deep and stern. He sounded so different. Looking over his shoulder, Grillby looked at the handwritten letter which began with the words, "If I'm dead or missing, Gaster had to do with it." It was a dated letter, and its characters seemed rushed.

After a sharp inhale, Sans read with that same voice.

"If I'm dead or missing, Gaster had to do with it.

I will confront Gaster tomorrow once we're alone in the center of the CORE where he plans to test out his theory on time travel. I've notified several employees that have access to the labs of what to do if I disappear. Doctor Wingding Aster has been experimenting on the monsters of the underground nearly since establishing the labs, and I was his accomplice. None of his experiments have gotten too out of hand, well, that was before the death of his wife. After her death, Dr. Aster, or Gaster as he's come to be known, has obsessed himself over annihilating the human race off the face of this world and breaking the barrier or getting around it. At the moment, C.H.A.R.A. is a machine fueled by the SOUL of the late royal human princess. Her SOUL was secured before the King or Queen were notified of the late prince's arrival back into the underground. Once her SOUL was secured and processed into C.H.A.R.A., the lab's potential power skyrocketed and we reached an era of scientific breakthroughs. C.H.A.R.A. was wired to all of the underground, minus the RUINS where Queen Toriel had shut herself away. After much analysis, breakthroughs for the theory of Time Travel began to emerge. Dr. Aster was careful about it though, the consequences were... infinite. We narrowed down the possible outcomes and their consequences. Our analysis confirm that the portal needed should be built in the water fall that leads into the abyss, but that the CORE is the next best possible area for smaller experimentation. At this time, I feel that Dr. Aster's experiments may endanger the entire underground, if not the world should there be a catastrophic malfuntion or error by the Time Traveling Machine. Tomorrow, I will confront him, not only on that subject, but also on a more personal one. Dr. Aster's experiments on monsters had been innocent in the past as far as I know, but ever since the death of Arial, he has changed. I learned today that he has modified his own son, Sans through torturous experiments and has been threatening him with experimenting on his other son, Papyrus. The icing on the cake? He approached Bora today about conpensating her if he borrowed little Fuku for 'insignificant' research. I'm going to meet up with Bora before I meet up with Gaster.

No one messes with those I love.

Chara, forgive me for allowing Aster to use your SOUL. The cameras within his private labs are under tight security, yet somehow, C.H.A.R.A. had footage of Aster and Sans in plain view when I clocked in for my shift. Coincidentally, it had live footage of Aster meeting up with Bora. My gut tells me your SOUL still has your essense.

If I'm dead, I probably died by killing Aster. If he's still alive, make sure he pays. Release C.H.A.R.A.'S SOUL, and for the love of all that is good, please scrap the Time Travel Theory.

Steamy.

P.S. Grillby, take care of Fuku. Sans... forgive me, you deserve better than a monster full of sin. King Asgore, please stop Gaster and undo his mistakes. I love you all."

A moment of silence followed, until finally Sans let go of the hand written letter and looked at Grillby with whites in his eye sockets and frown. "...i get it now," he began to say, his voice returning to normal as he continued. "steamy had no reason to go to the CORE that day. i never understood why she did. i didn't understand why bora had hired a babysitter and was in the CORE."

Grillby sat down beside Sans on the wooden floor, putting the photographs inside the pocket of his fireproof vest. "She was going to stop Gaster at all costs, even if it got her into trouble. W-what else is in here?" he asked, his hand reaching inside the cabinet and grabbing a case full of casettes. "I've seen some of these names on the jukebox." he added, looking at Sans who only nodded. "...yeah, she loved music. we'd go to the dump daily and pick up new surface trash. all the songs on the jukebox was music she found and i'm sure she played it in the lab. there was a file named 'tokyo teddy bear' saved in the hard disk of every computer. that's where chara learned the words to the song."

Grillby put down the case, watching as Sans pulled out an ancient painting on a canvas. "That looks like King Asgore. Why is that human holding his trident?" asked Grillby, looking over the image. It was a young Asgore who stood beside a young Toriel with his right arm around her shoulder and his left hand holding the back of his head as he grinned with a blush. Clear as day, beside the couple was Gaster who seemed to be smiling from ear to ear. He was dressed in all black, minus the white turtleneck he wore underneath his coat and slacks. Draped on his shoulders was a silky white scarf whose ends seemed to be flowing back and his hands were secured inside the pockets of his slacks. To his left, a blonde human woman was standing there wearing a turquoise dress that reached below her knees and seemed to also be flowing back. She seemed to be blushing as she looked up to Gaster on her right.

"...that's mom?" Sans breathed out, analysing her figure. She had golden curls framing long face, and she was definitely tall, but not tall enough to surpass Gaster. Her curls were secured by a purple flower wreath she wore, and her exposed arms seemed quite toned and defined, which meant she was athletic. She seemed to be trying to pose, with her left hand on her hip and her right hand left down on her side, but whoever drew this painting seemed to have preferred to leave her gazing at Gaster.

Sans' gaze moved back to King Asgore, and shifted to his left side where another human seemed to be standing. A young male dressed in armor it seemed, and holding what looked like a trident identical to King Asgore's. It had to be his trident, it had a red flower attached to it-but the trident wasn't colored red, it was silver... and it was smaller to fit the human's size and strength.

"Gaster, Arial, Toriel, Asgore, and Alisdair. Alisdair's Induction Ceremony." Grillby read out loud, looking at the bottom of the painting that seemed to be signed 'Semi'. Grandpa Semi was the grandpa Sans had mentioned before, which meant he drew the painting.

Sans' finger trailed his mother's cheekbone which seemed seemed to be sticking out. The more Grillby looked Miss Arial, the more Grillby noticed her skin was very pale and sickly. Her arms seemed healthy, but her facial structure seemed... sunken in. Was this during her phase where she turned into a monster? Looking down at her waist, she seemed like a doll whose porpotions seemed unnatural. A very small waist, and her hips seemed to stick out, almost as if... her stomach was reduced to nothing. His gaze fell down to her legs, noticing they seemed a bit... off. Her mucles were definitely toned and there, but something about the sides seemed to be caving in. Moving up to her arms, he noticed the same effect on her forearms. So she was definitely turning into a skeleton then. This must have been painted some time before the war then. By what King Asgore is wearing, it would appear he has no intention of waging a war. A button down blouse full of colorful flowers and black shorts. He seemed to have dirt on his cheeks and on his shorts, and his feet were covered in it! Sandals! The king wore sandals! The queen wore a purple tank top with white shorts that were covered in the same dirt. Wow, the queen uh... seemed so carefree. Nothing like the long modest robes she wore in the underground.

Sans turned the canvas and noticed an attached paper. Grillby squinted, noticing it was Steamy's handwriting. He began to read. "Not all humans are bad. A human saved our king. A human _willingly_ died for his friend. Are monsters and humans truly that different?"

Before the two monsters could process what they had just read, the door to the bar opened and a little bell rang. Grillby turned, startled, looking as the door slowly opened and revealed Greater Dog looking at him with his tongue sticking out. Grillby quickly turned to Sans, but realized he was gone and so was everything else.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Dusting off the covered chair in the corner, King Asgore looked back and noticed the old turtle had returned and seemed to be drinking a refreshing glass of iced golden flower tea.

"Sire," he began to say with a soft spoken voice, his other hand holding an extra glass that seemed to be pointing towards the king's chair in the middle of the throne room. "A word, if I may?"

Straightening his back, the grand goat shook his head as he firmly stood. "I cannot sit there, Gerson." he responded as he leaned against the wall. "...what news do you bring, dear friend?"

Gerson took a few steps forward, his steps silent much like his arrival. "I have ill news laddy. Undyne has been unable to capture the human, and Alphys' invention seems to be doing a terrible job. If you ask of me, I could do it." Gerson spoke firmly as he leaned forward and passed the glass to King Asgore. He could see the hesitation in his hand as he reached for the glass and took it from his hand. A dry chuckle escaped the king as he shook his head. "...I cannot ask that of you my dear friend. You retired for a very good reason, and I've endangered enough of my friends for a lifetime. This is something I will have to do, even if it kills me inside."

Walking to the opposite side of the wall, Gerson let himself fall back and he sat down, looking around the old throne room he'd visit and train a young wimpy Asriel much like he trained Asgore. To see him stand there, a bulky goat with a great golden mane to his face and an armor that was worthy of a powerful king-it was certainly hard to believe he was once the softest of pacifists he'd ever encounter. True, he had yet to kill another, but his time would draw near. On the eve of battle, his trident would once more taste the blood of a human.

Gerson took a sip of his iced tea and looked at the lonely chair in the empty patch. "The bloody trident will taste human once more, am I correct?" he asked, glancing at Asgore who only got stiffer and his eyes had grown. "...yes, Gerson. Alisdair's trident will claim another innocent victim." Asgore's bitter voice seemed thunderous, and he looked at the old turtle who seemed unfazed. Of course a war veteran would remain calm at such a notion.

Biting his lip, the worn goat gave a sigh and let his shoulder fall down. "If I hadn't been green, Alisdair and my mother would still be alive."

The turtle took another sip of his drink. "It was my fault as well. I was distracted by the ambush, I hadn't thought that a human had snuck up behind us. Lady Casmore did not deserve that backstab."

Asgore chugged down the glass of iced tea, wiping his lips as he closed his eyes in frustration. How could he forget?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Flashback

*********°*********•*********°*********

This was it. Their last day going up the mountain. Beside him, High Queen Casmore continued to push a cart with a full grown tree on top of it although many monsters including himself had offered to do it for her. His mother was certainly very insistant that she carry her own weight.

To his other side, the human commander walked calmly with his unused trident on his back. Yesterday, Alisdair had picked up the ol' thing from their hideout where it had been kept after all this time.

"ATTACK!"

Up in the distance, cries and shouts emerged which prompted Gerson to go in advanced with his hammer drawn out. "T-Tory!" Asgore shouted in a fit of panic, getting on his tippy toes and looking ahead in hopes that he'd see his lover safe and sound.

Behind him, the wall of mages were on high alert. "Freeze!" shouted a woman as ice shot out of her hands and unto the ground beneath the feet of the mages. Turning around, Asgore saw that the mages' feet had been frozen in place and that a woman in black was seemed to be threatening them with further magic. In a split second, more mages dressed in black appeared, all of them surrounding the seven mages that seemed outnumbered by eight.

In the distance, he could see that the human armies following them seemed to have caught on to what was happening.

"Asgore!" Exclaimed his mother as her body fell forward and her arms tried hard to keep her from falling. A sword had pierced right through her back, and blood seemed to be falling around her mouth and the now open hole in her body. To her side, Alisdair had been quick on his feet to try to attack the assailant before it attacked the High Queen, but he was a step too late. The assailant had stabbed her, and had dodged just in time.

Twirling his head around, Asgore fell back unto his bottom as he watched Alisdair thrust his trident towards the assailant. "Charanjit!" Alisdair shouted as he gritted his teeth, continuing to attack while Charanjit continued to evade.

The dying goat mother agonized, and knew this was the end for her. She glanced at the tree, breathing in as she turned to her son and summoned enough will power to speak before dying. "Asgore... lead Bergentrückung as you would have. Don't make the same mistake as your father. Make... m..e.. p..r..o..u..d..."

The young prince, now king, breathed faster and shook his head as he reached out for his mother, his eyes widening as he watched her SOUL appear and tremble before shattering. Instantly, much like when his father died, he could feel the wind around his body swirl and energize him. His blond hair grew longer, shaggier, and he could feel himself taller and more powerful. He was an fully matured adult now, far too soon.

He heard the clashing of metal and he turned to Alisdair who had thrown Charanjit's sword in the air and away from him. He turned to the mages in the back and realized there was a full-on mage war between the mages and he had been on his butt the whole time. "Your majesty!" shouted Gerson as he leap towards him, holding one bloody hammer with one arm. "...no! Miss Casmore! ...NO!"

Asgore crawled back fear in his body as Gerson's giant hammer deflected several magical shots directed at him. **"I'm in danger, and I can't think! MOVE ASGORE!"** he thought to himself, but he could only continue to crawl back and watch as the turtle moved the hammer in a circle before grabbing it with both hands and hitting the ground with all his strength. Lightning exploded from the impact, and his head looked up, his eyes bloodthirsty as he looked at each and every mage in black. With out fail, several of those mages were electrocuted to death. The turtle made into a sprint, swinging the hammer with one hand and using his shell as a shield, hitting mages with the blunt end of the hammer, while the seven mages in white continued to fight back and defend themselves.

Asgore's eyes darted to Alisdair, his mouth trembling as he realized that Charanjit had thrown little daggers and dust towards him. Stunned, Alisdair tried to regain his vision and yanked out several of those daggers.

 **"MOVE ASGORE! Your best friend is in mortal danger, MOVE!"** He thought to himself as he brought himself to his feet. His foot moved forward but he froze. What was he to do? He didn't know how to fight. Sure, he could throw a fireball, but even then he misses. His aim was _terrible_. He breathed hard, watching in horror as Charanjit moved in and began to wrestle his best friend over the trident. "I should be the only commander!" growled Charanjit, his grip on the trident overpowering the poisoned human who continued flutter his eyes desperately. Finally, after much struggling, Charanjit pushed Alisdair back with the trident in his hands. He moved his head when a single pathetic fireball passed by him, his eyes noticing the new king trembling in fear. This was going to be too easy. Licking his lips and grinning afterwards, Charanjit broke into a sprint towards the goat.

Asgore took a step back, looking to Gerson who seemed busy knocking the wind and blood out of mages. He could see in the distance their eyes meeting and the sudden look of regret on his face. "NO!" Gerson screamed at the top of his lungs, shoving a collapsing body aside and swinging his hammer so as to clear a path to his king.

Asgore felt a splash on his face and he turned, his eyes wide as Alisdair grunted and cried in pain. Once more, Asgore had stumbled back as the prongs to the tident exited through Alisdair's armor as though it had been butter. "H-how?" croaked Alisdair, crying loud once more as the tident left his body before entering once more, and again, and again.

When Gerson had had arrived, Alisdair's body had fallen back full of open wounds and his body had begun to tremble and his skin was going white. "A-a-asgore..." he breathed out, and the goat embraced him, shaking his head. "I-i-i-i'm s-s-s-sorry. I..." he hissed, trying to reach for Asgore's face when his hand had suddenly dropped along with his head. His eyes were wide open, yet the light in them seemed to dim.

Asgore suddently looked up, watching as Charanjit stabbed an infurieted Gerson in one of his legs. This man was quick and strong, how on earth did he get so strong? Was it possible to be this strong? Gerson was now injured, but continued to hold his ground, his hammer hitting the bloody trident which was now covered from head to toe in blood, a few silver spots shinning where the blood had yet to ooze down.

Asgore gripped his arms around the body of his dead friend, feeling a warm object in between them. He turned to the mages, realizing only two mages dressed in black remained and seemed to be trying to retreat, but the white mages were having none of it. Ice, fire, electricity, all kinds of elements seemed to be flying towards the two retreating mages. "H... help... help!" Asgore spoke in a load voice, unable to shout or scream because his throat seemed to be constricting. He looked down at his friend, noticing his face had yet to change, and now there as a light floating inbetween them. A SOUL. He could feel its inviting energy, welcoming and asking to be taken. Asking to be useful. All Asgore wanted was to be able to defend those he loved.

He looked up, and saw as Charanjit thrusted the trident unto Gerson's shell with such force, but the hardened general only deflected his attack. The trident vibrated and fell from the humans' hand, and just as quickly the turtle kicked the weapon towards Asgore. It was there, infront of them. The red flower was battered and several petals had fallen off, but their friendship flower was still there. _"I swear I'll use my commanding trident only for good and defending! I will never use it against my friends, against any of your kind."_ Asgore could hear Alisdair vow as he had raised the trident up high and posed with it in their painting that fateful day. Now... today... that trident lay in front of its owner drenched in his blood.

Setting Alisdair down, Asgore stared at the floating SOUL which seemed to jump in place. "I'm not going to absorb you, dear friend." Asgore whispered, closing his eyes. When he lifted his head, he realized the soul had continued to tremble, asking to be used. Up ahead, Gerson and Charanjit continued to be lock in an epic battle, while to the side, the mages had begun to fight ambush reinforcements that were trying to reach them.

Looking at the trident, Asgore gave a small nod and cupped the SOUL into his hands, but pushed it towards the trident, watching as the SOUL at first tried refusing but then willingly sunk into the trident, aiming for dried up and beaten red flower. In a flash of red light, the red flower grew, its red color matching the color of Alisdair's blood and transforming the trident into a bigger weapon.

Up ahead, Charanjit nearly fell down by the sudden distraction, avoiding the hammer just in time. Gerson turned to the source of the distraction momentarily, but continued to persue the assailant.

Asgore breathed out, his hands gently closing Alisdair's eyes and soon enough, gripping the new trident which didn't seem soaked in blood anymore, but had kept its color. The trident felt heavy in his hands, too heavy and powerful for his inexperienced hold.

"Asgore!"

He turned towards where the monsters were, realizing that Toriel had emerged and seemed to be making her way towards him. She had been throwing fireballs at persuing humans, and Arial seemed to be using her shield as a means of running past the humans who tried to stop them. Gaster also seemed to be following, his eyes glowing purple but he didn't seem to be attacking.

"Sire!" shouted Gerson, as he tried to leap towards Charanjit who had sprinted towards the king, but had fallen down due to the injury to his leg. Asgore looked at the incoming human, the lust of power and death in his eyes, but much different from the bloodlust he had seen in Gerson. Holding the trident as hard as he could, he could feel the power within it pulsating and leaning towards the right. Without thinking of it, he moved the trident in that direction, just in the nick of time to deflect a thrown dagger.

Before Asgore knew it, he was deflecting thrown daggers and moving his body in order to avoid the ones he couldn't deflect. He could feel Alisdair, there with him as though guiding him.

Soon enough, Asgore found himself surrounded by his friends and Charanjit had been surrounded by the seven white mages. It was over.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back in the throne room...

*********°*********•*********°*********

Gerson finished the last of his tea, setting the glass down as he stretched out his legs, his eyes looking at the scars left from the battle he had with the human assassin. "King Fluffybun, I may not be your commanding general anymore, or captain, or bodyguard, but there's still some fight left in these old bones. Should you hesistate... do not fear to call upon me, even if I retired from that life a long time ago."

The tall mountain goat looked up, his warm eyes overlooking the frail looking turtle and realizing just how much he had aged. It was hard to believe he stopped aging once all of his children had died, here in the underground. It was hard to believe Arial had surpassed Gerson and had stopped him to going on a rampage against the sharpshooting human. "You promised, Gerson. You can't break your promise to Arial, even she surpassed me." Asgore replied, crossing his arms as a smile finally broke throughout that serious face.

The old turtle broke into a laugh, slapping his knee as his other hand grasped the white flowing hair growing from his chin. "AHAH! That fiesty girl! She certainly learned from the very best! I suppose if ya put it that way, laddy... I won't fight anymore. Only to defend, she made me swear. Still counts if I were 'ta defend ya."

Asgore chuckled, shaking his head. "And I ask that you don't, Gerson. You've served our kingdom for far too long, and its time you rest easy."

Gerson scoffed, getting up and shaking his head. "Ay, ye soft gob. I'm outta here!" he laughed, looking towards the other side of the room where his walking stick was awaiting him. Taking a few steps back, he jogged forward and made a leap across the room and landed silently, his legs trembling just a bit before began to walk to his stick and make his way back to his shop.

Asgore took one last glance down towards the lonely chair, his eyes glistening as he saw the images of his son Asriel running around while Gerson playfully chased after him. The little goat soon stopped and sat down on the very chair, grinning from ear to ear. "Fear the prince, god of hyy-perdeath!" he squealed, throwing his arms out into the air. That imagine soon enough turned into seeing a pile of dust and the robes Toriel had prepared for when Asriel grew of age to be crowned prince. Beside that pile, the pale corpse of the human whom he had sacrified his life meaninglessly for, yellow pettals scattered about the room and the knocked over where Asriel had staggered carrying the girl.

Looking away, Asgore closed his eyes and retreated into the darkness of the hallway.

Underneath the chair, a golden flower popped out of the tile, his usual scowl etched on his face as he looked around the now empty room.

So... empty.

As usual, flowers surrounded the area where he once grew in the darkness of it all. It wasn't until all these flowers grew that anyone had noticed him inside this abandoned room, but by then, what good was the company of that old fart. Kindness this, tea that. This world was always so predictable. Same lines, same faces, same, same, same.

Nothing had ever changed every time he reset. He would always wake up alone, asking, begging for help but no one would show up. Giving kindness, receiving smiles and kindness in turn but what did that ever do for him? He was always just another flower. No one can see the flower down here in the floor, sometimes stepping on him by accident. Accident my petals! Why should he forgive them? Why should they have a happy ending when he couldn't? He wasn't meant to be a flower! He was meant to be... something else. A god. A powerful god that everyone loved and feared. What good was their friendship? All everyone ever did was use him and then throw him away like some kind of broken toy...

A rolling laughter soon eminatted from its wicked grin as all that Flowey could do now was laugh. No matter how hard he tried to defeat that smiley trashbag, he'd always lose in the form he'd use with six SOULS. He needed more power, the power of a GOD.

Seven SOULs. The power that trapped all of monstrocity down in the underground was a combined effort by the seven SOULs of the most powerful mages that humanity had to offer at their peak magical era. Combined together, their magic became godly, and now, ever since monsters have been trapped here in the underground, human SOULs have lost their magical touch. But now... another human walks among them, absorbing their magical energy, energizing that delicious red SOUL. With the monsters trapped down here, any good viable SOUL could reach the same potential as one of those human mages, so clearly... all he lacked was one. more. soul. Then... he'd be a g..o..d.

That smiley trashbag would be a good toy to keep around... Perhaps he'd spare the possessive demon, she seemed like a good toy as well. Those two seemed to stand out from the crowds of mindless pathethic monsters. Flowey had the strange urge to... keep them around and enjoy a good battle with them.

Rolling his eyes, looked at the petal that had been growing back, looking as good as new. Good. For now, he just needed to wait for the perfect time.

Just before he disappeared, a quick flash of meaningless memories flooded his head. Ugh, gross.

 _"Chara, that's my chocolate bar!" whined a small goat, reaching out towards the human who only kept twirling around and eating the chocolate. She moaned in delight, shaking her head. "No~ My chocolate now. You know I love chocolate! You can have my snail pie tonight... aw, hey, don't give me that pout, mister! We're still friends right? Ya know I'll always be there for you, you're my Asriel~" she cooed, growing closer as she threw the chocolate wrapper aside, moving her hand in a circle as it grew nearer to his face. The young goat smiled nervously, a blush appearing as the girl smiled, but soon that smile turned into her scary face. "N-naaaaahh! Don't do you scary face!" he yelped, covering his eyes but feeling a peck on his cheek. Flustered even more, he uncovered his eyes and saw as her nose nuzzled his and she laughed._

All alone, much like his beginning. What a liar.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Labs

*********°*********•*********°*********

Alphys looked at all the empty beds, her guilt returning much like it would everytime he saw the remnents of her experimentation. To this day, every now and then she'd get a letter asking for so-and-so's relative, but lately no one has reached out to her anymore. Perhaps they've finally all forgetten, or perhaps they've accepted that she wasn't going to tell them what happened.

She turned off the light, turning her head and noticing one of the amalgamates looking back at her with some food in its hands before disappearing in the corridor.

With a heavy sigh, Alphys steeled herself and left the room, taking the elevator back up to her safe space, her real lab. Well, it wasn't a lab, more like a home. Home of Anime, Manga and action figures! With a shaking smile appearing on her face, she breathed in and awaited for the doors to open.

"GAH!" She jump, her back against the elevator as the doors opened and Sans stood there with a blank face. "oh, sorry to scare ya alphys. howzitgoin?" He asked casually, bringing in levitating cabinets and a levitating... gigantic... skull of... something. It seemed to be panting?

In the corner, Alphys studied this skull, wondering if... perhaps... should she ask? Would it be rude? Sans glanced over in her direction with that same lazy grin, and Alphys could only tremble and look away. Scary.

Finally, they were back at the top floor and Sans had walked out normally with all his junk levitating behind him. Alphys had to shake her head in order to process her own movement! Walking out of the elevator, she followed Sans back to the big monitor and he had crawled down to its under panel. What was he doing? "...um... Sans...?" she asked, noticing that he had turned around and poked his head out. "eh... yo alphys, can you do me a **solid** and get out of the lab for about uh, an hour or so? i swear i wont **break** anything." he asked with his usual easy going voice, but Alphys had been frozen in place with fear when she saw that he had taken out what looked to be an old control panel that she had... melted by accident this one time long ago. It seemed flabby. "Y-y-y-y-y-yeeeesss! Anything for you b-b-b-buddy!" she stuttered, her hand quick to grab her new ramen cup she had left to cool down on the desk and her feet shuffling away from the labs.

Once outside, she noticed Undyne in her cool black jacket and jeans, her red flowing hair put in a pony tail and she seemed to be holding a letter. "U-Undyne! What a surprise, what are you doing here?" she asked with a blush, her hand trying hard not to grip the ramen cup too hard.

The blue fishwoman looked at her with shock, her hand crumpling up the letter inside her hand. "Oh you know, finishing up with my guards... you know, telling them orders, writing orders, getting written orders, orders, order, orders!" she laughed nervously, turning around and looking back at Alphys. "...wanna hang out at the dump today?"

The two sat on a cooler beside the plumitting waterfall. Trash seemed to float around them, falling into the great abyss in front of them, never hearing the end of their fall. Alphys was almost done with her ramen, and Undyne seemed to be snacking on a leftover protein bar.

"Do you remember meeting up at the dump?" asked Undyne, throwing the wrapper and the crumbled up paper into the great abyss. Alphys blushed as she turned to look at her majestic red flowing hair, and the way her eye seemed to look down at the abyss. So... cool...

Fidgetting in her seat, Alphys nodded. "I do. You caught me as I fell down-a-a-accidently, of course! You jumped after me and I held on as you climbed up the water fall using your spears..."

Undyne tilted her head back, breathing in the smell of water in the air as she laughed. "I don't think I've ever been so worried in my life. I thought you were a goner, but, here we are years later. Remember the trashin' I gave you once we got up here?! Bwuahaha!" she continued to laugh, looking over at the flustered reptilian, nudging her. "You said you saw a copy of the best anime series floating down, so you tried to catch it but slipped, man, you were lucky I was here, huh?"

Alphys tried to laugh, her claws bringing the ramen to her lips as her eyes dulled **. "I didn't slip."** she thought as she chewed on the ramen, looking at Undyne's jolly expression. **"But I'm happy I met you. If it weren't for you, maybe I'd jump again."**

Undyne blushed a little, yawning as best as she could as she stretched her arms and let her left arm slowly fall down unto Alphys' shoulders. She glanced over at the blushing cutie, a smile overtaking her as she tried to contain herself. This... was sorta like a date, right? Maybe she could talk Alphys into a real date today.

Alphys looked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Undyne with awe. Her arm was on her shoulder... HER ARM WAS ON HER SHOULDER. What should she do?!

Before either of them could do anything, a familiar skeleton came bouncing in. "UNDYNEEE! DR. ALPHYS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER THE UNDERGROUND FOR YOU TWO! I'M HERE TO INVITE YOU TO SNOWDIN'S FIRST ANNUAL DEEA DII LAS MUUERRTOES, OR DAY OF THE DEAD FESTIVAL. IT SHALL BE OUR FIRST HALLOWED WEENIE, AND FRISK IS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!" Exclaimed Papyrus, dressed in his Cool Dude outfit, his hat backwards as he grinned and waved.

Immediately, Undyne stiffened and took her arm back, blushing as she looked away from Alphys and turned to Papyrus with an irritated look. The poor skeleton could only look at her with that innocent smile. How could she stay mad at him?

Alphys got up, looking at Papyrus with interest. "A festival? What's going to happen there?" she asked, slurping down on the last of the noddles.

Papyrus took out a long piece of paper, clearing his voice before reading over it. "ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FESTIVAL, WE SHALL DRESS UP AS MYTHICAL MONSTERS FROM TIMES OF YORE, OR MONSTERS FROM SPOOKY STORIES, OR WHATEVER WE LIKE. I WILL PERSONALLY DRESS UP AS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER FROM MY FAVORITE BOOK. THEN AT NIGHT, WE GO AROUND HOUSES AND ASK FOR CANDY. THEN WE GO HOME, AND BUILD A SMALL SHRINE TO OUR LOVED ONES WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US, AND PUT EVERYTHING THEY LIKE, LIKE FOOD, DRINKS, AND TOYS. THEN, THE NEXT DAY WE SING, DANCE, AND PARTY AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE OUR LOVED ONES ARE WITH US, WE JUST CAN'T SEE THEM, PLUS, ITS FRISK'S ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. THEN THE NEXT DAY, THE SPIRITS OF OUR LOVED ONES LEAVE... AND... FRISK LEAVES TOO."

Undyne got up, her smile disappearing as he noticed the sudden drop in his usual happiness when he spoke of the little shrimp leaving. He was trying so hard to keep her around, wasn't he?

"How about it, Alphys? I'm gonna dress up as a PASSIONATE WARRIOR!" Undyne posed, holding a spear in a heroic way and glancing down unto the awe-struck monster. "Y-yeah! I-I-I'll dress up too, w-w-we could maybe... you know... cosplay together, i-i-i-if you want, you know, c-c-c-characters from the same anime, s-s-so we can m-m-match."

Papyrus' grin began to return, looking at the two friends who seemed enthusiastic about the festival. Frisk couldn't refuse now! He had gathered many of her close friends, many of her non-close friends, and they all LIKED the idea. She had to stay a bit longer... she just had to. Papyrus felt so close to the human now, just the thought of her leaving caused him a great pain in his cool heart. Sure, he had Sans and Undyne but... but there was only little girl who could cook spaghetti all the time with him with that tenderness in her heart.

The three friends were passing through the caves, when they spotted Napstablook and a small crowd of monsters. "Oh... Hey Papyrus! Going to see Mettaton?" he asked, wearing his top hat and floating in place so as to let the trio catch up to him.

Alphys gasped, covering her mouth when she realized that she hadn't checked on the kid all day. What if... What if she made progress? Without her? What if Mettaton was doing an inpromtue?

"What do you mean? Where is everyone going?" asked Undyne, turning to Alphys who had suddenly begun to walk ahead. She turned back, shaking her head. "I-I-I'm sorry! I h-have s-s-s-stuff to do today, I'm so sorry!" She shouted as she hurried on ahead. Undyne held out her hand but she took it back with a sudden feeling of emberassment. Alphys was a busy gal, why should she hold her back...

Napstablook looked at the small crowd. "Oh, Mettaton announced their goodbye concert... A lot of monsters didn't like him picking on Frisk, but I guess monsters don't want him to give up the show business either. It says it starts at six, so I'm heading out to get a good seat. A few of the die hard fans are going already..."

Undyne looked at Papyrus who seemed to have gotten a bit sad. "LETS GO, UNDYNE! I'M METTATON'S NUMBER ONE FAN! WHERE'S THE SHOW GOING TO BE, NAPSTA?" he asked, beginning to walk. "Oh... In the outskirts of the castle. Actually, there's directions to the concert, the main way through the core is blocked off for some reason."

When Alphys arrived to her lab, she saw Sans eating a bag of potato chisps and he seemed to be typing into a minuature computer. It was so small! and with a miniature screen! It looked... compact! Wider than a thick book, but when Sans shut the screen on it, Alphys couldn't help but to geek out. "Oh my god! Was that a mini-computer? I saw you typing into it, how does it work?" he asked, looking over his shoulder and noticing an explosion with 'E=MC^2' written on the sticker, along with another sticker of a red planet which read 'Mars has the tallest mountain'. Other than those two, the rest of the cover with little star stickers. It looked almost kinda cute...

Sans turned to her, his lazy grin engraved but twitching when he noticed how big her eyes had gotten and how awe-struck she looked. "You're a science nerd too..." she breathed out, but Sans only shook his head and grabbed his mini-computer. "nope, sorry, don't know anything about science, engineering, or mathmatics, nor do i enjoy in their mind-numbing hobbies. i'm just your average joe, sitting on the couch, living the **potato** life." he winked, the potato chisps levitating along with the rest of the cabinets. and what looked to be a fixed control panel. In fact, it sorta almost looked modified...

How long was she gone? Did he do all that while she was gone? She couldn't have done that in a _month_. Sure, before when she worked with Sans she knew of his science potential and knack for it, but to know that he actually enjoyed it... back down in the labs, he always seemed so frustrated and angry at the machines, but... but that mini-computer had to be his, right? Which meant that the stickers were his, and no body puts stickers of stuff they don't like on their things.

"W-wait Sans! You obviously like science-y stuff... why do you pretend not to?" she asked, plopping down unto her chair and turning it so that she could see him stop in his tracks. "why do you pretend to be a hero when all you're doing is putting frisk in danger, eh?" he responded, before walking towards the dark entrace and disappearing in what looked like a blue flash of light in the middle of the darkness.

Stunned by his words, Alphys almost didn't hear her phone ringing on the table. Picking it up, she heard Mettaton on the other line.

"Why on EARTH didn't you pick up earlier? I've been distracting the little star, but she's starting to get bored. Come on, she's going to exit the resort any minute now."

 _Click_.

She turned to the big screen, noticing that Frisk had finished up talking to a monster and had begun to walk towards the exit. Well... it was now or never.

Still... a part of her was scared. Sans knew her intentions, was he going to stop her? Was he going to explose her? ...No, he would have exposed without telling her, so why did his words ring in her head...?

With a sigh, she grabbed her head set and plugged it into her phone, grabbing the set of maps and intructions and beginning to make her way to the rendevouz point.

Frisk looked at the metal in front of her, her mouth agape as she saw just how... awesome this place looked. It looked like she was in the future! This was so cool!

She walked over to the edge, looking down at the infinite darkness. Wow. At the very bottom she could see a bit of red, which was probably the lava, which meant she was waaaaaay up high. That... was really scary now that she thought about it. She backed away into the safety of the floor when she got a phone call.

On the other line, Alphys looked at the transfered live feed of Frisk and gasped, noticing a few strangers lurking about and disappearing into the corridor.

. . . No one was supposed to be here. Did Mettaton Fail? Was it teenagers?

"Huh? Who are they?" she whispered, shaking her head. "N-nobody else is s-supposed to be here..."

Frisk looked into the distance, squinting but making out a few shadows. Was this place supposed to be abandoned? Why was no one supposed to be here? Before she could ask, Alphys continued to speak.

"Oh well! We can't worry about that now!" Alphys managed to say, hanging up immideatly before Frisk could ask her questions. On the live feed, Frisk definitely looked like she wanted answers. She looked at the maps and began to hum when her phone beeped. A message from Undyne. As tempting as it was... Alphys couldn't get distracted! Her phone wasn't capable of multitasking with the live feed streaming. If she were to check her text message, she'd want to check out the monster net and see what's trending, and then she'll get distracted! Worse yet, her phone might overload!

With a big sigh, Alphys determined the best route from the maps that Mettaton had left behind.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans' Lab

*********°*********•*********°*********

Grillby waited outside the wood colored metal door, huffing a puff of flame so as to warm himself. When Sans had opened the door, Grillby almost didn't recognized him-white lab coat, goggles on his forehead, long black slacks and a black tee with what looked like potato chisps crumbs on it and a planetery system design. "sup grillbz, you're just in time. i was just about to power on vinnie." Sans welcomed, moving aside and letting Grillby come in.

When Grillby looked around the entrace room, he was astounded to see a set of stairs connected by a small frame which had been blocked. "welcome to my **bare** cave, the good stuff is in the next room. this room is just to throw off anyone that wanders in here." Sans explained, walking underneath the small frame just fine while Grillby had to squat down a little to fit. "I see. So, what's this Vinnie thing? You said it was amazing." asked Grillby, continuing to follow Sans down the stairs.

With a clap from Sans, the dark room head turned on, almost blinding Grillby for a moment. "welcome to my science lab. haven't been here in a while so don't mind the dust bunnies. i can't believe i saved my old science outfit though, i thought i threw it off into the flowing magma," smiled Sans, scratching the back of his neck just underneath the base of his skull.

"...did you _build_ all of this?" Grillby asked in an astounded tone, although he knew Sans had rebuilt the core so this must have been a piece of cake. Still, just the notion that Sans was capable of doing all this blew his mind. What the heck was he doing just being lazy and drinking ketchup?"

"pfft, it was easy, but nevermind that. look at this sweet mod, i never thought to look underneath the big computer at the front desk of the labs. gaster hid this sweet piece of technology, and once combined with this old rectangular junk, i should be able to access his secret computer. steamy wrote in detail about it, said he'd call it vinnie for some strange reason. something about hologram technology." Sans raved, the whites in his eyes sparking and almost bursting with light like tiny stars.

Grillby nodded, noticing how his eyes sparkled while speaking. Sans couldn't hide his love for science, his grin and eyes said everything.

Sans looked at the big bulky rectangle which was about his size, and his fingers pressed on the welded control panel's buttons.

"Inniciating hologram sequence. VINNIE status report: ONLINE. Welcome Dr. Segoe."

"huh?" asked Sans, taking a step back when the rectange began to rumble and a metal plate shifted back, reveling what looked like a camera. Soon enough, a light beam shot out of it, and Sans had jumped aside in fear it was an attack. Grillby took a step back himself, mesmerized by the sudden figure which seemed to emerge from the source of light. A ghoulette.

"Finally, Aster, I was beginning to..." began to speak the figure, her eyes fluttering open and staring at the two figures. "You're not Aster. INNICIATE SELF DEFENSE SEQUENCE."

Sans jumped up, waving his arms in desperation. "no, no, no! wait, i'm his kid, sans. aster's dead, don't inniciate anything!"

The ghoulette's eyes which had turned red returned back to their white color. Her skin looked just as smooth as Gaster's... she looked almost like a twin **tibia** honest. Except her eye lashes were very femine, along with the bone structure.

"SANS... ANALYSING." she said, her voice sounding automatic as her hand flew up and a light beam shot out of it, scanning Sans who seemed very nervous. "99% monster, 1% human. 5% Ghoul, 90% SKELETON, 5% homosapian. Lacking in VITAMINS, and proper sleep. Substancially short for age. HP: 1, critically low. Recommendation: Sleep and Monster Academy Attendance to boost HP. Alternative: Magic Transfusion Operation. Welcome Dr. Sans."

Sans blinked, staring at the ghoulette who stood idly, staring back at him. "So, Aster has perished? CHARA, you sly invention, you."she cooed, a sneer suddenly appearing. "So Sans, why have you powered me on? Are you trying to rebuild the time machine?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Grillby turned to Sans who looked perplexed. "...how do you know the time machine is broken?" he asked, almost scared to know the responce.

Vinnie looked at the short skeleton, scoffing before responding. "Because CHARA and I had been connected VIA cables. Even while powered off, CHARA's SOUL energy and I could communicate, however, a CRITICAL POWER LOSS in several sectors rendered me useless... until now. I see you attached a control panel unto me... do you have any idea how ugly that looks? My smooth box is ruined. Why didn't you just use the portable remote control?" she asked with a condesanding tone, turning to Sans who seemed to be mad. "I don't care. I want answers, and I want them _**now**_ , or... or I will throw you off the cliff and into the magma."

Grillby flinched, looking at Sans who seemed to be standing straight and with empty eye sockets, his voice sounding husky and deep, so unlike this usual tone. It was as if he sounded like another person.

Vinnie looked slightly alarmed, crossing her arms as she looked down and began to speak in another language that Grillby didn't understand. When she had finished speaking, Sans seemed a bit disturbed. "A game? That's all this is to you? What did you tell Chara? Answer me!" Sans asked in the same voice, growing agitated as the hologram only laughed.

"Your world is stained with mistakes, SANS. Chara and I only seek to purify it. As it is right now, the earth suffers from growing pollution and growing RADIATION levels in several parts of the world. What Chara and I could achieve is an equalibrium that restores the world to its natural levels as well as purge the world from all defective lifeforms. Our assigned CREATOR is benevolent in the aspect that we weild a certain grasp over our FATE. Join me, SANS. Do you not wish to start over and be in a perfect world with Steamy at your side?"

Grillby took another step back, not understanding anything. Sans on the other hand only shook his head. "This is how you tricked Gaster. No... INNICIATE BINARY POWER OFF SEQUENCE!" he gritted as he shouted, watching as Vinnie looked alarmed and began to pixalize before disappearing.

Grillby took a few steps closer, looking at Sans who seemed to have returned to normal. "...uh... let's _not_ use the hologram super computer bent on genocide, but what we _could_ do is power up these holo-disks i found laying around."

Grillby watched as Sans walked over to the machine and pressed a button that opened a slot. "Sans... what did she say? What language was that? I didn't understand any of it." he asked, noticing that Sans seemed to hesitate on his answer.

"oh... that. it's called wing dings. my old man was named after it, it's uh, it's a language that is complex and really hard to learn and understand. gaster taught me the language, so i understood most of what she said. a few bits didn't make sense though, but i got the gist of it. vinnie is basically an ai super computer built on the concept of an even harder language called binary that's supposed to know and unravel the mysteries of the universe."

Grillby watched as the holo-disk had been inserted and the image of human Arial and a young Toriel came to life. "Oh... She's wearing a crown. And that looks like a teenage King Asgore!" Grillby gasped, watching as the 3D images began to move and talk, like a memory.

 _"Asgore, keep your eyes closed! Arial, same goes for you! Ay, Horatia, how is it that you have so much patience with these hyper kids?" asked Queen Casmore with a sigh, tilting her head to the side as she crossed her arms while she sat with her legs crossed. Next to the young blonde was an older woman who shared a few characteristics as Arial. "I just do, your majesty." she chuckled with a timid voice, her hand covering her lips as she laughed. Young Toriel opened her eyes, smiling as she turned to her friend and nudged her shoulder. "I told you this might be a bad idea... Oh! Do you need help, mother?" she asked, getting up from her mediative form and making her way to a tall goat woman who walked with a tray full of tea and snacks._

Sans watched with an awe struck expression, his hand reaching for the moving images but it would only go through. Grillby continued to watch, noticing the image was moving around as though the camera was being turned.

 _Aster looked into the lens, smiling as he spoke. "H-log 001: I hope it works! I can't wait to see if this works, and if it does... ! I can't wait! Grandpa Semi will be so proud!" He grinned into the camera. From off camera, it sounded as though a younger Asgore had spoken with a higher pitched voice. "Gaster, stop talking into that weird metal rock and meditate with us! It's not fair you get special treatment just because you're 'experimenting'."_

Sans backed away, a light blue blush on his cheeks along with a puzzled expression seemed to fill his skull. "g-gaster?" he whispered, half scared to know it really was him. Gosh... he almost sounded like himself when he was younger.

 _Aster pouted, narrowing his eyes and glancing down. "Aww, b-b-but Asgore...! It_ _ **is**_ _science! And its important! What if this is the future of communication for us all? No more written duck mail, instead, we'll have video recordings that we can see as though it were in person! Imagine, all the memories that could be recorded, all the scientific data archieved! ...eh? N-no! No, no, no, no, no! O-Okay, I'll stop, just give me back the orb, your majesty!"_

Grilby watched as the camera shifted and what looked to be Queen Casmore came into view, her snout close up as she looked into the camera. _"Honestly, this is what's wrong with you children nowadays. Now, I said I'd let you get away with recorded for a while, but it's been long enough. You wanted to join us for the weekend, it's about time you joined in our daily medidation! No buts, mister!" The image moved down along with the hand, and Arial could be seen giggling before the hologram ended._

Sans stared on as the 3D images disappeared, and he looked at Grillby who looked out of breath himself. "Crazy technology, Sans. We just witnessed a part of your father's life; I didn't think they were so advanced." Grillby spoke, noticing that Sans had taken out several hologram discs out of his lab coat. "...yeah. that's just one of about two dozen. i just... wow. i didn't think me and pops had much in common besides the genius trait."

Grillby crossed his arms. "Well? Put the next one. Let's watch two more, then let's talk about Vinnie. I still have quite a few questions about 'er." Grillby suggested, noticing that Sans had gotten a bit nervous about Vinnie's subject. "yeah, sure thing bud."

The two friends made room for the next hologram, watching as the image of a ghoul came into view. He seemed to be dressed in formal clothes, and wore a top hat along with a monocle. He seemed to be wearing a long black coat, and had a gray goatee growing on his chin. _"Ah, yes, this does look rather interesting, Gaster. The green light is a nice touch, a good improvement from the first prototype. The more user friendly it is, the easier it will be to market this to the public." he spoke, moving the camera. Aster soon came into view, beaming with pride. "Thanks grandpa! But I think I'm going to keep it a secret for now... Courier smashed the first prototype, and Segoe gave me a lecture about how my talents shouldn't be wasted on trivialities. Hey Grandpa Semi, do you think you could help me make prototype 3 airborne? I was thinking about adding wings that spinned and a motion sensor so that it couldn't get too close to the users."_

Grillby noticed the background was shiny and full of computers. He could see a glass with... with a monster inside of it. "Sans, that looks like like temmie!" Grillby exclaimed, pointing to the floating dog whose eyes were closed. Sans squinted, noticing it did almost look like a temmie, but its fur color was black, and it was muzzled with some sort of equipment that probably gave it oxygen.

 _The older ghoul stroked his beard, humming to himself for a moment before turning to the young Gaster. "Why think so primitave, my boy? Why don't we make work on getting it to float without any conventional means? Imagine! A floating orb, silently recording your most precious memories or recording anything useful at any height or distance! I can see a great potential in this... hmm, say, isn't that the half ghoul experiment Segoe was monitoring?" Gaster got close to the camera, his guilty expression vidid, along with the purple blush. "N-No! I mean, yes! We stayed pen pals, you know, she might uh, have a really strong SOUL. I've been trying to gauge any potential data Segoe might have overlook, that's all. Friendship was an added benefit, because uh, she knows Prince Asgore, and that's super beneficial in the future, for budgets and whatnot, right?"_

Grillby snickered, shaking his head. "Who is he kidding with that expression." he laughed, looking at Sans who seemed to watch with interest, his eye sockets wide.

 _Grandpa Semi's voice erupted in laughter in the background. "Interesting! Very interesting! A pure bred ghoul and a half ghoul... Intriguing! Oh, don't look at me that way, Gaster! I know you well enough to know when you're emberassed. It's fine, me boy, very fine indeed. I guess you can say it runs in the family, eh?" Gaster looked confused, but nonetheless turned to the camera. "No way, Arial and I are just friends. It's a platonic relationship, I mean, me and a human? Pfft."_

The images disappeared. Grillby turned to Sans who seemed to be fighting back a few laughs. "aw man, can you imagine? falling in love with what you said you wouldn't love? sheesh, its like he jinxed himself."

With a simple hand gesture, Grillby began to Follow Sans. The two friends began to walk towards a coffee dispenser, and when they arrived, Sans had gotten two mugs. "hot chocolate or coffee?" he asked, pushing his mug against the hot chocolate dispenser. Grillby looked at his mug, noticing an equation. "E=MC^2? What does that mean?" asked Grillby, glancing at Sans who sipped on his hot chocolate, backing his skull back. "ay, that's hot. eh? oh that. grandpa semi's equation that he figured out when he was just a little ghoul. revolutionized a lot of theories and inventions. anyways, hot chocolate or black coffee?" Sans asked again, putting down his steaming hot drink. "Hot Cholate then. I'm guessing you don't have sugar and cream for the coffee?" Grillby responding, noticing a slight smile on Sans as he nodded. "yep. i tried getting used to drinking black coffee, but its just so bitter. gaster used to drink that straight from the pot when he was really into his work. i have no idea how he could handle the temperature though. this one time he did yelp out and ran to the nearest sink screaming 'hot!' at the top of his lungs though."

Holding back his laughter, Grillby simply nodded. "Sounds like a proper responce. So... about Vinnie..."

Sans glanced down unto his hot chocolate. "okay. so, i kinda figured Chara couldn't have figured out all of this on her own, much less, taught herself higher equations and ancient languages. she had help from the inside, and when vinnie mentioned the broken time machine, i figured that she had a hand in the accident. From previous calculations, the catastrophe could have been bigger, much bigger if it had fallen into the lava. Perhaps... big enough to engulf the entire world into whatever or wherever gaster is at now, which basically means, we all wouldn't exist. i don't know what would have happened then, but that ai computer is nuts, definitely the reason why gaster didn't power her hologram version. according to steamy, he'd use his super computer like a regular one and he stopped her hologram version because it was 'defective'. i was thinking on fixing it, but i guess the defective part is the ai itself. it's uh... really scary to think this ai might have a hand in whatever is happening now, then again, segoe and courier built this darn thing so it had to be evil and nuts. it's gonna take some time, but i'm gonna find a way to end this, grillbz. if paps or frisk ask where i am..."

Grillby sipped on his drink, smiling afterwards. "You're working several jobs throughout the underground. Or helping me in the back so you can pay off your outstanding tab." he chuckled, his smile growing when he saw Sans laughing. "good one buddy. let's watch one more of these holo-blogs."

After inserting the third holo-disk, the two backed away as images came flying out in beams.

 _"Hue hue hue! You have to put a little more 'Mmph!' in it, Alisdair! See Arial, you have to balance your weight and be one with the spear, although, I don't think spears are her thing. What do you think, Gerson?" spoke a ghoul who wore a helmet and appeared to have a scar running down his left eye and unto his cheek. To his side, a much younger looking turtle stood tall and with a smirk as he held unto a very heavy looking war hammer. "Aye, the lass is easily distracted, her only weakness I reckon. Should a strong attack catch her unguarded, she'd be done for if she were a monster." spoke Gerson, setting down the heavy end of the hammer and leaning on it. "What about you, Ulfer? Think her technique with spears is lacking, eh?" asked Gerson, looking at a tall blue fishman who laughed as he threw his head back. "Hahaha! She lacks the spirit to weild a spear! Best to keep her with a sword and shield, Alisdair seems to be fair with it. Prince Asgore! Are you paying attention or gawking at priestess?" he barked, his orange hair glistening as the wind blew. The rolling grass was high and reached their knees, and it looked like there was an open blue sky, along with green shrubs nearby. The camera soon shifted to Prince Asgore who blushed with a nod, laughing a little as he glanced at Toriel who seemed to be meditating with another human. "Oh... I'm sorry we're distracting you. Should Toriel and I leave?" spoke the meditating human beside Toriel, opening his blue eyes and looking quite nervous, scratching the top of his wild ginger hair._

"Wait a tick... that sounds like Napstablook." Grillby spoke in awe, looking at Sans who seemed to be equally shocked.

 _"Daaaad, Tory and the shaman aren't doing anything~ Let them stay, pleeeeeaseee~" begged Arial, turning to look at the ghoul with the helmet._ On closer inspection, he seemed to be wearing a black battle suit, much like the Ulfer guy seemed to be wearing. And... Gerson seemed to be wearing a black armored torso. The original Royal Guard? Wait... was Ulfer Undyne's father? Spears?

 _"Fine. Prince Asgore, if you could just focus for an hour, then we'll be done! Please?" asked Roman with a familiar grin that stretched and looked to engulf his entire lower jaw. The blue fishman laughed himself into a grin that also looked like Undyne when she grinned. From the corner of the 3D image, Gerson cracked a smile before laughing. "Aye, you're too goofy to join the royal guard, Roman. But we'll be accepting applications in twenty years if you're still interested." Gerson spoke, noticing the way Roman's face shifted into what looked like Papyrus when he had tears in his eyes and a look of defeat._

 _Slowly, the camera moved to Arial who had begun to walk towards it, huffing while her fair skin flushed from the exercise. "_ _ **Gee**_ _, do you plan to record us all day? You should help Asgore, silly." she giggled, closing her eyes as she smiled. "R-Really? Must I really help out? Recording Asgore's lovesick expression is comedy gold,_ _ **darling**_ _~." Aster's cooed teasingly. Opening her eyes, Arial pouted. "_ _ **Hey**_ _. Don't tease me like that, you-you-you smooth ghoul you. But you know what, there's something I can do better than you." She spoke into the camera. "Oh really? What's that?" he responded in the back. She smiled, her hand reaching behind the camera that trembled slightly before the hand reappeared in front of the lens. "I'm an amazing magician who never reveals her secrets, and you're just a_ _ **chip**_ _off the ol' block." she winked, waving what looked like a small security card. "E-eh?! G-Give that back! Segoe's gonna kill me if I lose that!"_

 _"Hey bookworm, get your hands away from my daughter!" Shouted Roman in the background as the camera fell down into the grass. "Hm? Hey Gaster, you dropped Eyeball Number 3. Does it really capture the moment? Will people really see the top of my nose?" asked Prince Asgore as he picked up the camera, hovering it above his head as he looked into it with curiosity. In the background, there was a lot of grunts and what sounded like people rolling in the grass. "Roman, that's the royal scientists' son!" Ulfer could be heard, along with a grunt. "Arial, stop being childish and give him whatever it was." Gerson could also be heard, sounding as though he was holding someone back. "Fine, catch it, Gee-Gee."_

 _Asgore seemed to have jumped back, and the camera caught a glimpse of Aster on the grass with the small security token in the palm of his hands. "Crisis averted." he sighed, looking up. "Is it time for lunch yet?" he added as he rolling over and breathed in. Asgore moved the camera to Toriel and the shaman. "How about it? Are you done doing that?" he asked. The human opened his eyes, looking at Toriel who looked back at him with large pleading eyes. "Uh... yeah, go ahead, it's not like Lady Casmore's gonna find out or anything... I hope."_

 _The camera moved back to the others, and Roman seemed to be standing next to Arial, posing with that familiar stance that Papyrus was known for and had learned from Arial. "Fine! Oh... Alisdair, were you practicing the whole time? How diligent! Even in the face of distraction!"_

 _The familiar human stood there with sweat running down his head and holding a spear as he smiled. "Of course! I'm going to command an army, and together, Asgore and I will unite monsters and humans!"_

The images died down, and Sans silently removed the holo-disc. "that's uh... a part of gaster i never knew. i mean, sure he'd play with me and paps, but, most of the time, he was laid back and cool. he'd read to us, solve puzzles, you know... he never seemed the really goofy type. what the heck happened?"

The two friends talked amongst each other while finishing up their hot chocolates for the remainder of their time in Sans' lab.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile, back with Frisk

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk made her way through the darkened path, her eyes glancing up at the lazer heads when her phone began to vibrate. She answered the phone, and just as soon, Alphys had screamed. "W-WAIT! STOP!"

Freezing, Frisk let the phone fall, and Alphys continued to speak through the speaker phone while the lights and lazer beams turned on. "Th-the power. It's turning itself back on. D-damn it... Th-this isn't supposed to..."

Frisk held her breath, trying her hardest not to move. "I... I'm gonna turn it off again. When it turns off, move a little, and then STOP. OK? You won't get h-h-hurt."

When the lights turned off, Frisk quickly got the phone and made a sprint, stopping when she saw the flickering of the lights. After several rounds of the run and stop technique, Frisk came to the clearing and she was able to take deep breaths. Wow, that was super hard! Just staying in place made her muscles tense up! Just then, Alphys called once more. "S-see? I've got everything under control. Everything's under control!"

 _Click_.

...Was everything really under control? After being ambushed by several monsters, Frisk was beginning to wonder if maybe she should go on without Alphys' help. Everytime something went wrong, she'd freak out, maybe this wasn't a good idea. She seemed like a friendly person, but at the same time, she sounded like she was starting to sound discouraged or disappointed in herself. Frisk was worried about her more than herself at this point.

Making her way into the next room, Frisk felt her phone vibrate, and that phone rang. "OK! Y-you should... You should... I don't know? This doesn't even look like my map at all... I'm sorry... I... I... I have to go."

Frisk gasped, but the line went dead soon after.

On the other line, Alphys let out an exasperated cry and fell down to her knees, her hands clutching the useless maps Mettaton had left behind. What if King Asgore got tired of waiting and sent merceneries after Frisk? Frisk was at last in real trouble and there was nothing Alphys could do about it.

Sans was right. She was only getting her in danger and now Alphy had no idea what she should do about it. Maybe Sans knew? She got up and turned back, but realized that Sans was an elusive character. There was no way she'd be able to get in touch with him.

No! Frisk was a strong, independant little lady so she was going to make it through the puzzles! Alphys just needs to catch up and be there for when its her time to shine! Looking down unto her phone, she could see little Frisk exploring already. "That's it... don't lose hope now!" She whispered to herself, grasping her phone and walking as fast as she could without losing her breath... which wasn't very fast at all.

Frisk huffed, her heart beating out of her chest. Up ahead, she could see the elevator and a SAVE point. Thank goodness! Beside her, she could see Chara who seemed really distant, but had appeared nonetheless when her HP hit 10.

"They almost killed you, but you still won't fight back, huh?" asked Chara, glancing down at Frisk who took a deep breath and staggered on ahead. "I'm not much of a fighter, Chara." Frisk responded with a cracking smile as her hand reached towards the SAVE point.

Chara crossed her arms, looking away but glancing back when she heard a 'thud' hit the floor. "F-frisk? Oi, get up, the star is RIGHT there. Come on, crawl! Jeeze kid, come on, you still have 1 HP left, where's that will power you usually have?"

Frisk breathed in, blinking several times before looking up at Chara with an uncertain frown. "I... don't know. Chara, you've been with me since I fell down... do you remember my name? Who I am? You'd tell me, right?"

Chara floated down and kneeled down, her red eyes looking straight into Frisk's brown and realizing that her DETERMINATION had begun to weaken. "...why do you ask, Frisk? You're Frisk the Human, daughter of a human who loved to dance and another human who had risky business all over the world. Who you are, or who they were is not important right now, what's important is that you get up and touch that SAVE point. Trust me, littlel sis... you'll know everything when the time is right. Meet me in Judgement Hall, there, everything will make sense."

Frisk blinked, her hand reaching out for Chara but instead she only got up and turned on her, walking away and disappearing. "...Chara?" Frisk called out, her voice echoing around the metal room. "Chara... help me! Please!"

But nobody came.

Sniffling, the little human tried her hardest to move her arms forward, but the bruises on her arms hurt too much to put weight on them. The cold AC air blew down unto her back, sending shivers down her spine, her eyes squinting through the light fog. It looked like the SAVE star was moving towards her. "You cannot give up just yet!" Frisk heard, that familiar female voice echoing and vibrating against the metal underneath her. Was she dead? That was impossible, everything usually went black when she died. She looked down at the floor, noticing that a few spots had turned black and seemed to be disappearing and reappearing. ...What was going on? Frisk breathed in, trying to move her body forward, her hand reaching for the SAVE point but she was just a few inches short. She sighed, letting her head and hand fall down. Her body hurt too much.

"Flor! Stay Determined!"

Frisk's head flew up, her heart throbbing. Stay determined, Flower? Why did this feel so important? Why did she feel the adredaline rush through her veins all of a sudden? Why did the that varient of the word Flower seem so important to her? That words seems so familiar, and yet its missing something...

With one cry and a rush of will power, Frisk pushed her arm forward and the warm rush of healing magic overwhelmed her.

When she opened her eyes, the fog seemed dimmer, and the brightness of the SAVE point seemed to have faded away, back to its normal star appearance. She felt like going home to Papyrus and Sans, but... she was so close! She had to stay DETERMINED!

Mustering her courage, she puffed out her chest and ran to the next room.

She stopped when she realized she walked on a platform, and the lights seemed dim enough only for her to see a rectangular figure. She turned back to the door, and realized... it closed and locked behind her. She walked forward, looking around and noticing that the platform was surrounded by a perpetual darkness. A fight?!

Mettaton looked at Frisk, noticing her sudden panic. "OH YES. THERE YOU ARE, DARLING. IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE 'MALFUNCTIONING' ROBOT."

Frisk took a step back, looking at Mettaton with confusion. Huh? "...NOT! MALFUNCTION? REPROGRAMMING? GET REAL. THIS WAS JUST ALL A BIG SHOW. AN ACT. ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL THE WHOLE TIME. AS SHE WATCHED YOU ON THE SCREEN, SHE GREW ATTACHED TO YOUR ADVENTURE. SHE DESPERATELY WANTED TO A PART OF IT. SO SHE DECIDED TO INSERT HERSELF INTO YOUR STORY."

"What?" Frisk whispered, baffled by the sudden confession. Alphys? But Alphys...

Mettaton clenched his hands behind his back, trying to avoid the sudden guilt within him as he saw the way Frisk looked betrayed. Oh darling... he truly didn't wish to hurt her. But he must carry on for the rest of humanity! "SHE REACTIVATED THE PUZZLES. SHE DISABLED THE ELEVATORS. SHE ENLISTED ME TO TORMENT YOU. ALL SO SHE COULD SAVE YOU FROM THE DANGERS THAT DIDN'T EXIST. ALL SO YOU WOULD THINK SHE WAS A GREAT PERSON... THAT SHE'S NOT. AND NOW, ITS TIME FOR HER FINEST HOUR. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ALPHYS IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ROOM. DURING OUR BATTLE, SHE WILL INTERRUPT. SHE WILL PRETEND TO 'DEACTIVE' ME, 'SAVING' YOU ONE FINAL TIME. FINALLY, SHE'LL BE THE HEROINE OF YOUR ADVENTURE. YOU'LL REGARD HER SO HIGHLY, SHE'LL EVEN CONVIENCE YOU NOT TO LEAVE."

Frisk gulped, her head falling just a little. So... all this time. Alphys just wanted to be her friend and convience her to stay. It seemed like a lot of people didn't want her to leave, but she had to carry on. Someone must be waiting in the surface. Her gaze looked at Metatton who continued his speech.

"...OR NOT. YOU SEE, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PREDICTABLE CHARADE. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY? AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW, WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?"

Frisk turned around when she heard a knock on the door, followed by several knocks. "H-hey! Wh-wh-what's going on?!" Alphys voice sounded through the door. "Th-th-the door just locked itself."

Suddenly, the floor beneath Frisk began to tremble and move, almost as though they were ascending floors. Red lights seemed to appear and light up the platform, and Mettaton bust out a microphone. "SORRY FOLKS! THE OLD PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED! BUT WE'VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!"

Frisk cried out, looking around the rising platform.

"REAL DRAMA! REAL ACTION! REAL BLOODSHED!" Metta boomed, knowing that his fans loved the real deal. They had been bored of the fake battles between he and the human. A lot of them detested the way he was going about 'killing' the human. Dirty tricks, they said. Although monsters loved the human, it was apparent they wanted their freedom too, so they craved REAL violence.

Well, no more! This was it! This was the real deal! It was either him, or the human, and Mettaton was going to make sure humanity thrived! Even if it broke his sentimental heart, he was going to capture her human SOUL!

"ON OUR NEW SHOW... ATTACK OF THE HUMAN ROBOT!"

Frisk's SOUL emerged, and she looked around the rising platform. Okay... Just one step at a time! So... he had a metal body which meant her attacks were useless, not that she was going to attack.

"YES, I WAS THE ONE WHO RE-ARRANGED THE CORE! I WAS THE ONE WHO HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU. THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER? KILLING YOU MYSELF!"

Frisk gulped, looking at her cell phone and using its 'bullets' to try and keep Mettaton away, but he slowly rolled towards her. "THAT WORTHLESS PEA-SHOOTER WON'T WORK ON ME, DARLING. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTING IS!?"

Frisk rolled to the side, backing away as Mettaton continued to slowly roll towards her. "LISTEN DARLING. I'VE SEEN YOU FIGHT. YOU'RE WEAK. IF YOU CONTINUE FORWARD, ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL. AND WITH YOUR SOUL, ASGORE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY."

Frisk gulped, watching as Mettaton threw blocks her way. Armed with her cellphone, she shot a few out of her way while she continued to evade Mettaton. "BUT IF I GET YOUR SOUL, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN! I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION! THEN WITH YOUR SOUL, I'LL CROSS THROUGH THE BARRIER... AND BECOME THE STAR I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING! HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS... NO! MILLIONS OF HUMANS WATCHING ME!"

Rolling aside and shooting through squares and rectangles, Frisk heard Mettaton and realized it sounded a bit familiar. A star. _"Una estrella!"_ echoed that familiar brotherly voice in her head, filling her with DETERMINATION to contining dodging and shooting her way out of trouble.

"GLITZ! GLAMOUR! I'LL FINALLY HAVE IT ALL! SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS, BABY!"

Clearing her forehead of sweat, Frisk was about to start walking to the side when her phone began to ring. She answered it, pushing the speaker button. "U-uh... I can't see what's going on in there but... D-d-don't give up, okay!? Th-there's one last way to beat Mettaton... It's... um... it's... This is a work in progress, so don't judge too hard... but you know how Mettaton always faces f-f-forward? That's because there's a switch on his backside. S-s-so if y-y-you c-c-can turn him around... um... And, um... press th-th-th-the switch... He'll be... um... he'll be... Vulnerable. Well g-g-gotta go!"

Frisk looked at Mettaon, who seemed to be moving to the beat of his battle music, too engulfed in it to realize Frisk had been speaking to Alphys it seemed. Well... it was now or never. Her hand flew in the air, coming down on the semi-transparent yellow block that read ACT. No one else could see her choices, why, Frisk never understood. Time to do it!

"M-M-Mettaton! There's a mirror behind you!" Frisk shouted as loud as she could, pointing behind Mettaton. "OH? A MIRROR? RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR GRAND FINALE!" Mettaton exclaimed, turning around and closing his eyes. This was it. Their grand finale that he had planned. His grand debut and... and the death of a little angel by his metal hands. Did glamour and the happiness of millions of humans really cost the life and SOUL of a precious and innocent little girl? "HM... I DON'T SEE IT... WHERE IS IT...?" he asked, mustering up all his bravery and courage to face this one task. He could feel the little feet behind him, and the warmth of her hands on his back pushing the switch. His right hand held unto the little remote that would stop the platform in the arena were his adoring fans awaited. Pushing the button, it was now! THE GRAND FINALE!

"DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?" He asked, putting away the remote and turning around.

Frisk backed away, watching as the robot began to move erratically, as if it was going to blow up. Oh my god. Did she just kill the robot? Nooo!

Then, there was a flash!

Shielding her eyes, Frisk looked up and noticed tha the rectangular body was floating in the air, molding into what looked like a human appearance in a metal sort of way. Metal seemed to get darker, and then...

"OH YES~!"

Frisk took a step back, her head looking back as the platform stopped and she heard a crowd chanting 'Mettaton'. It got dark all of a sudden. She turned back to the center where two headlights descended and turned on, a big cloud of smoke or fog emerging. What was going on?

Guitar sounds erupted, different from Mettaton's music, and the body shape she had seem was visiable once more. Metatton's electronic voice spoke once more. "Ohhhh my. If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premier of my new body. How rude... Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. So... as thanks, I'll give you a handsome reward. I'll make your last living moments..."

Frisk took another step back, her eyes widening as she saw Mettaton's new body. He... was... STUNNING. OH. MY. GOD. THOSE LEGS. "ABSOLUTELY beautiful!"

Frisk looked around, noticing that Monsters were watching and that a big black retangle with graphs was high up where she could easily see it. Ratings? People? Was this... a live show? Like a real star? Perhaps... Perhaps if Mettaton got really high ratings, she'd be able to stop him from trying to kill her?

"FRISK! FRISK! FRISK, IT'S MEEE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS! POOOOSEEEE!" screamed Papyrus from the front row seats, waving his arms in the air as he grinned.

"Papy?" Frisk whispered, smiling as she nodded. This was it. It was time for her to be a star! " _Eres una estrella_!"(You're a star!) echoed the familiar voice in her head, filling her with DETERMINATION... and a light ache.

Mettaton grinned, posing dramatically as he could now. A body! He finally had a body! He kneeled his left leg and stuck out his right leg as he covered his right eye, looking at the audience who cheered on, ecstatic from his debut. Finally! He was flexible! he could convey himself almost naturally! It was almost as if... as if he was a bit human again. Ah, to be human. Sticking out his tongue, the roar of the crowd fueled him to try his hardest! He was going to beat this child, and it was going to do everyone a favor! Yes! Standing up, he raised his left leg, noticing the sudden excitement every time he raised his perfect legs. Beautiful design, just beautiful! "Lights! Camera! Action!" He dramatically said, looking at the child as he danced his way over to the child who seemed disoriented for a minute. Bringing his legs up, he thrust them one at a time, trying to kick her down but she deflected his aim using that darn pea-shooting cell phone and escaped each time.

Mettaton paused, and Frisk knew it was her turn. What should she do? She looked at the ratings and nodded, her hand pushing down on the yellow block. "Is that all you got, Mettaton? I bet I'm not going to get hit AT ALL right now!" Frisk boasted, crossing her arms and glancing at the monsters who seemed to begun to look intensely at the arena. All eyes were on her. Oh boy.

Mettaton smirked, his hands balling into fists before opening and letting out small bombs. Little Mettaton robots emerged from behind him, all of them heading her way. Frisk gulped, her eyes widening when she realized these bombs were coming right at her! They weren't falling! DUCK!

She ran forward, letting her knees fall and her back go back as she avoided several bombs, sliding on the metal platform. She rolled when her momentum stopped, and using her cell phone she shot a few mini-mettas that followed her. Phew!

She glanced up, noticing that the ratings had gone up. A good start! But Maybe she should follow Papy's advice and pose instead. What if she got hit? The ratings might go down because she lied!

"Oooh, it's time for a pop quiz! I hope you brought a keyboard... This one's an essay question!"

Frisk watched as a mini-mettaton floated over to her, a keyboard on its back along with the prompt: Why do you love most about mettaton?

Hmm. Frisk blushed a little, glancing at Mettaton as she typed, but all of a sudden the mini-mettaton left her before she could finish.  
Mettaton looked at the writing, blushing a little. "Handsome, beautiful, stunning, pretty legs, good dancer. Oh my... I'm speechless. You've completely captured how beautiful I am. Also, that's right. Legs was the correct answer!"

Frisk turned to see Papyrus on the side, and she could see Blooky and Undyne there. Oh cool... but where was Sans? Was he not with them? Before turning back, she noticed Papyrus had posed and winked. Of course! With a smile, Frisk looked at Mettaton and threw her hand up and let her head fall back, letting herself fall back while her left leg went up.

The crowd was roaring! It almost sounded as if more monsters had joined the crowd. Mettaton looked into the vast seats, noticing that monsters were arriving and sitting down, and that the ratings were rising. Oh my god! He turned to see the child and smiled. "Your essay really showed everyone your heart. Why don't I show you mine?" He winked in a sultry voice, his SOUL chamber opening up and leavign it vulnerable, but sending shockwaves of attacks while little mini-mettas attacked. The human couldn't dodge all of this!

Frisk breathed in, lifting her hands up for balance as she skipped and hopped her way around the little thunderbolts. Hm... maybe that heart is the source of the attacks? Maybe if she hit it enough, he'd stop? Twirling in place, Frisk got out her phone and used its pea-shooting and aimed for the vulnerable core, noticing that she didn't see any HP drop. Oh thank goodness she wasn't actually hurting Mettaton!

Evading the last of the mini-mettas, Frisk spun and gave the heart one last shot, and heard a little explosion. Huh? Mettaton looked shocked but smiled nonetheless, and the crowd seemed to be going wild!

"Oooh, I'm just warming up!" Mettaton taunted, sending an array of mini-mettas. Frisk took several steps back, shooting at the littl rectangles but there was just so many! Duck and cover! She jumped and rolled around the platform, trying so hard to avoid the little hearts with M's in the middle... they were like sharp it seemed, and one of them had graced her arm, leaving a bruise and a cut where it had hit. She held her arm and breathed in, looking at the ratings. POSING TIME! Frisk inhaled sharply and puffed out her chest, her hand gliding on her forehead as she looked into the crowd with the most flirtatious look she could muster up. A little wink never hurt!

Mettaton chuckled. The kid was a natural and the crowd loved her! He... loved her. But he had humans to save! "But how are you on the dance floor!?" he asked out loud, clapping his hands and a disco ball came down. DISCO BALL OF DOOOOM!

Frisk looked at the disco ball, noticing a few laser beams attached. Wait, what was...? But before she knew what was happening, the laser beams came her way, passing through her body and hurting her. What was she supposed to do? How could she evade them? Bracing herself, her breaths were sharp as she held in the sudden pain, hoping the attack would end soon. She looked up, and noticed a blue laser beam and stayed still, thankfully, sparing her for the time being. The disco ball went back up high and Frisk's legs wobbled as her HP was at a low 5, but the crowd could only cheer on. Wow, they liked this? It wasn't fun getting hurt. She posed once more, letting her body fall down and lifting her legs up along with an arm. This time, the crowd seemed to love it even more now that she was hurt. Oh gosh... hey wait, she had a few glamburgers in her pack! Why didn't she just use one!

But it was too late. "Lights! Camera, Bombs!" Mettaton shouted, throwing a bomb attached with a block. Frisk got up as quickly as she could but realized that the magical arena around her had suddenly gotten really narrow. No escape! Taking out her cellphone, she shot at the block, but it wouldn't shatter... which meant one last option. Shoot the bomb! She was _not_ going to die a fiery and explosive death on live television with Papyrus looking.

She shot the bomb and moved aside quickly, her eyes wide as the bomb's explosion went stright forward, almost hitting her. She was already low on HP, she could not afford to get hit! She continued to shoot the bombs and evade its explosion, until finally, it was over and the magical barrier expanded back to its normal openness. She could see the yellow blocks reappearing and quickly, she went for her backpack and got out a delicious glamburger. Her mouth was watering up just looking at it and its perfection! It almost twinkled under the lights!

Just as she chomped down on it, she could hear cries in the crowd. They loved this? Taking another big bite and finishing it up, she looked into the ratings and reliazed it went dramatically up... 500 points? WOW.

After another round of bombs, Mettaton looked up at the ratings and smirked. "Time for our union-regulated break!"

Frisk looked around, scared to know what else might appear, but suprisingly... nothing happened. A breather! Wow, Mettaton was making her work out today! With all the sweat running down her temple, she was surprised she was having so much fun even though her life depended on her course of actions. Giving one more pose, she grinned and looked out into the crowd, noticing a familiar blue jacket and a flaming body right beside it. Sans! Beaming with pride, she waved and blew kisses their way, noticing that Grillby seemed to be drying himself. Huh... she wondered what happened.

"We've grown so distant, darling... How about another heart-to-heart?" Mettaton's voice boomed throughout the arena. Sans turned to Grillby who was drying himself of the leftover ketchup, his glasses sticky with the substance. "you got most of it off, don't worry grillbz," Sans chuckled, glancing at his friend who huffed. "Don't worry?! You doused me with ketchup when I least expected it and it cooled down my flames, of course I panicked!" Grillby replied with a raised voice, putting away the ketchup filled napkins and looking around the empty row. Sans had teleported them to the last rows, so far up, yet Frisk was able to distinguish them. She seemed to have a good eyesight... he only wished they could be closer, then again, maybe a few monsters would have noticed their sudden appearance. "...you didn't have to spit the ketchup on me, you know?" Grillby muttered, taking off his glasses and using his vest as means to get rid of the sugary leftovers of the ketchup on his glasses. Sans looked down, watching as Frisk used her cell phone to shoot Mettaton's SOUL which had sent a frenzy of attacks her way. Well, Frisk hadn't killed a monster this far in her journey... she was bound to find a way to spare Mettaton, right?

Frisk gasped, stumbling back when Mettaton's arms exploded. Oh my god, was he okay? Before Frisk could ask, Mettaton's hips swayed, acting as though nothing happened. No HP was lost. She looked at the crowd, posing dramatically as her head hung low and arms went up high.

"A... arms? Wh... who needs arms with legs like these?" Mettaon spoke, lifting his head and smiling as the crowd cheered on. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, mesmerized by the violence and dramatic poses. "I'm still going to win!" Mettaton added, feeling as his back released an array of bombs and blocks, his magic going straight for the little human who stared back with slight fear in her eyes.

Shooting a path for her to navigate in the narrowed arena, Frisk felt the rush of wind suddenly reverse. Before she realized it, a block hit her back and she found herself scurrying to try and retrace her steps, but the damage had been done. 10 HP. So... Mettaton somehow rewinded his attack-it was so cool and so scary at the same time.

Should she eat the last glamburger? She did pick up an extra one in the trashcan after all. What if she needs it later on? No, she needed to save it. She had enough HP for another attack. Inhaling sharply, Frisk let her side fall down on the floor and her left foot rested on the floor with her right leg laying down while she winked and pointed at the audience. She didn't know where she learned that pose, but it felt familiar... and the crowd loved it!

Mettaton smirked, flicking his head up as he walked forward. "Come on!" He commanded as more blocks and bombs appeared and the battle arena once more fluctuated and became narrow around Frisk.

Prepared for the attack, Frisk jumped up and shot her way to safety, memorizing her path and easily avoiding any damage. She looked at Mettaton, her eyes watching him dance around the stage even though he looked hurt-well he lost his arms. She smiled, giving him the thumbs up and she walked up closer to him, following his dance moves and posing alongside him, looking back at him and realizing he looked surprised.

Mettaton breathed in, looking down at his legs. "The show must go on!" he smiled, giving Frisk a wink before he jumped back and a storm of blocks and bombs hurdled past him and towards Frisk. Watching her avoid bombs and blocks with her graceful dance moves and shooting blocks that she couldn't avoid-why must he kill such a majestic human with so much potential? Looking down, he reflected on all this... Even after all the attacks, even after trying to kill her... she smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up? She danced along side him, and posed just like he-He needed to end this before he got any more attached to her!

He looked up, noticing her standing there holding her her arm and her pretty little face tainted by a trail of blood oozing down her forehead and down the corner of her mouth. 2 HP. He quickly looked down once more, steeling his heart. The crowd around them seemed to go wild, and he looked up, realizing she was munching down on another glamburger, the bruises on her face fading as her HP maxed out once more. For a brief moment, their eyes met and those brown almonds looked at him with a certain tenderness. Ashamed, he broke their eye contact as she wiped away the blood using her sleeve.

Twirling around using his glamourous legs, he posed and brought up his leg. "Dr... Drama! A... Action!" He shouted, once more sending a full frontal attack, unable to look up and witness any of it. He could hear her sudden whimpers and the tapping of her feet touching and leaving the steel platform, grunts signaling that she had gotten hurt. Looking up, he looked at Frisk who looked back with her chest puffed out and a new bruise on her cheek and a drop of blood on her corner of her lips. 10 HP. She turned and looked at the crowd, whipping her hair and sticking her fist out with a grin while her other hand was on her hip, letting the light light up her face as she posed like some sort of heroine.

Everyone loved her.

"L... Lights... C... camera..." he mumbled, looking at her as she continued to pose and take in the applause and screams of her fans. Standing there like a hero who has just gotten severly hurt... No! Doesn't she understand! He looked at her, trying to keep his smile on his face. "Enough of this! Do you really want humanity to perish!?" he questioned her, noticing that she had tilted her head and looked at him with an endearing look. Her little hands had balled up into fists, shaking her head and looking at him with those same warm eyes.

Sighing, Mettaton looked down. "...or do you just believe in yourself that much?" he asked, shaking his head. No Mettaton! You are the star meant to save humanity!

Used to the attack, Frisk was able to blow up the bombs and dodge the attacks unscathed. She posed once more, bending down and blowing a kiss in the crowd with a wink. She was going to win over Mettaton!

"Haha, how inspiring! Well darling, it's either me or you! But I think we already know who's going to win. Witness the true power of humanity's star!"

Frisk took a step back but soon found herself twirling around and avoiding little thunder bolts. The heart! Shooting using her cell phone, she moved from side to side, trying to focus on avoiding getting hit for a moment. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Mettaton had begun to move, and just in time, she avoided a kick! She turned her head, noticing another leg on her left side, a little too late. She fell to the side and rolled on the cold metal, her arm hurting to much. It hurt to move her arm... it felt as though the heavy leg had crushed the bone in her arm! She whimpered but there was no time cry! She continued to move her hips and upper torso just in time to avoid hits, her right hand keeping a steady aim as she tried hit the heart.

BOOM!

Frisk stumbled back, her right arm shielding her head as metal bits exploded and blew through the air. She winced, feeling her SOUL throb with only 4 HP. "M-mettaton!" She gasped, walking towards him but the roar of the crowd caught her attention. She looked down and noticed the golden semi-transparent blocks appearing once more... she needed to do something. She sniffled, noticing that it smelled familiar... like... Papyrus' favorite cologne. MTT Brand. Oh! With all the smoke and the sudden rush of air, perhaps this was how Mettaton smelled... it'd make sense. She breathed in, lifting her leg up and flicking her hair as she posed, her eyes glancing at the crowd before fixating on Mettaton once more. Oh dear, was he truly okay?

"...then..." Mettaton began to whisper, trying to hold in his sudden feeling of defeat. "Are YOU the star? Can you really protect humanity!?" he asked, releasing his SOUL once more and attacking directly, sending an array of lighting towards the child. Missed. Missed. Missed. MISSED! Yet she didn't miss a single shot.

She stood there valiently, declaring she wouldn't get hit. Oh, the nerve! Well, she had another thing coming! Sending down his disco ball, he grinned as the look of horror was etched on her expression. She couldn't dodge those attacks, and she only had 4 HP! This was it! It was over! And finally, this torture would end, and he could save humanity...

Frisk panicked, her right hand trembling as she shot the disco ball using her cell phone repeatedly, noticing that the color beam had changed. Wait a minute...

She took a deep breath, timing her shots and making sure she was absolutely still everytime the blue beams hit her body, her heart pounding loudly against her chest. Did she do it?

The cries of the crowd erupted once the disco ball went back into hiding. She did it! Grinning, Frisk raising her arms and posed, pointing to her cheeks and grinning as she stood sideways.

She turned and realized Mettaton didn't even so much as look at her, sending an small crowd of mini-mettas after her. Oh no... Frisk gulped, running around and jumping on the rectangles as she tried to avoid their heart shaped cutlery, her eyes widening as she narrowly avoided a small thunder bolt.

 _Where in the heck did those come from_?!

She shot as many mini-mettas as she could while avoiding thunder bolts, her body moving to the rhythm of Mettaton's glamourous battle song, her eyes seeing the end of the attack when her back felt a sharp heart shaped object hit her. She cried out, jumping to the side and narrowly avoiding another heart which looked to be glowing blue as the attack ended. 2 HP.

Her hand reached back and grabbed the little heart, throwing it aside as she felt the warm red liquid oozed down her spine. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she jumped with her fist to the sky, smiling and hiding her pain as she tried to look as cute as she could, flipping her hair to the side and fluttering her eyes. Knowing that cute wasn't dramatic enough, she gritted her teeth and lifted her right leg as high as she could even though her back pained her so much. She could hear the gasps in the crowd as she could see that familiar red scarf in the crowd, and Papyrus' look of worry, She turned her head and looked up towards where Sans was and saw him gripping unto his jacket as he leaned forward with sweat on his skull. They were worried about her.

Mettaton looked up, his eyes bulging as he saw the ratings. "OH, LOOK AT THESE RATINGS!" he exclaimed with a smile. "THIS IS THE MOST VIEWERS I'VE EVER HAD! WE'VE REACHED THE VIEWER-CALL IN MILESTONE! ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME..."

Frisk looked into the crowd, noticing that the crowd had suddenly lit up with cell phones. Wow! They were all trying to call Mettaton!

"...BEFORE I LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER! LET'S SEE WHO CALLS FIRST!"

Frisk took a step back, breathing slowly as she tried to remain calm although the pain throughout her body wanted to just... let her fall down and rest. No, she was going to get through to Mettaton!

"HI, YOU'RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THIS, OUR LAST SHOW?" Mettaton spoke aloud with a charasmatic smile.

The loudspeakers in the room boomed as a familiar voice came through. "... oh... hi... mettaton... i really liked watching your show... my life is pretty boring... but... seeing you on the screen... brought excitement to my life... vicariously. i can't tell, but... i guess this is the last episode...? i'll miss you... mettaton... ...oh... i didn't mean to talk so long... oh..."

Frisk bit her lip, looking towards Papyrus and realizing that Napsta was on the phone. It was him. She turned and looked at Mettaton who seemed to have lost his composure in the moment. "NO WAIT! WAIT BL... H... THEY ALREADY HUNG UP."

Frisk gulped, taking a step forward when she saw the look of sadness in Mettaton's expression but stopped when he seemed to have regained his composure. "I'LL TAKE ANOTHER CALLER!"

Frisk turned and looked back towards Blooky, noticing he looked bummed out. Oh no... She wished she could hug that cute ghost! She didn't like seeing him look so sad all the time, and now he looked extra sad. She could see that Papyrus had begun to try to cheer him up, and Undyne seemed to be looking at the new caller, her head spinning when another monster got through. By now, several monsters had filled the line, and when Frisk turne to look at Mettaton, she saw it. She could only smile and offer him a thumbs up.

"AH... I... I SEE... ...EVERYONE... THANK YOU SO MUCH."

Frisk perked up when Mettaton smiled, moving his head as though to motion her to him. She did so, kneeling down beside him as he spoke. "...DARLING. PERHAPS... IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF I STAY HERE FOR A WHILE. HUMANS ALREADY HAVE STARS AND IDOLS, BUT MONSTERS... THEY ONLY HAVE ME. IF I LEFT... THE UNDERGROUND WOULD LOSE ITS SPARK. I'D LEAVE AN ACHING VOID THAT CAN NEVER BE FILLED. SO... I THINK I'LL HAVE TO DELAY MY BIG DEBUT. BESIDES, YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE VERY STRONG. PERHAPS... STRONG ENOUGH TO GET PAST ASGORE. I'M SURE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PROTECT HUMANITY."

His eyes fell down, his smile crumbling away as he laughed. "IT'S ALL FOR THE BEST ANYWAY. THIS FORM'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS... INEFFICIENT. IN A FEW MINUTES, I'LL RUN OUT OF BATTERY POWER, AND... WELL."

His talking came to a stop when the human's arms wrapped around his neck, her whimpering causing him to choke up with guilt. Was she crying? For him? "I'm sorry Mettaton! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Will you be okay?" she asked, pulling her head away as she sniffled, wiping away the crocodile tears and smeared blood on her face. How could she ask about him when she was in a worse condition? Mettaton couldn't fanthom the thought.

"I'LL BE ALRIGHT. KNOCK 'EM DEAD, DARLING. AND EVERYONE... THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!"

"M-mettaton?" Frisk whispered, her eyes widening as the pink light in Mettaton's eyes faded, slowly closing down. She looked up and looked around, noticing that the platform had begun to move once more, slowly rising and leaving behind the crowded arena where monsters seemed to be in an uproar over what had just happened. The Light coming from the ceiling was so bright that it blinded her for a moment, prompting her to close her eyes and without realizing it, knocking out after such an intense battle.

After fiddling with the cables of the lock for half an hour, Alphys was able to open the door. She ran inside, her eyes squinting as she adjusted to the dark lighting. "I... I managed to open the lock! Are you two..."

As she approached the two figures, she gasped when she realized both Mettaton and Frisk were laying on the floor. "Oh my god." She ran towards them, scarsely comphehending the sight when Frisk had begun to move and had sat up. She was alright... but then... "Mettaton!" she cried out, falling beside the remains of the robot, slowly inspecting him. "Mettaton are you..." she whispered with wide eyes, her hands slowly descending down into his core where his SOUL chamber was. She carefully opened its transparent case, making sure that the pink glow wasn't the batteries. It wasn't. It was his SOUL wrapped in its pink natural magical essense. "...thank GOD, it's just your batteries. Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have... I would have..." she sighed as she closed her eyes and inhaled sharpily. When she opened her eyes, Frisk was standing there, looking at her with horror in her eyes. "I m-mean, h-hey, it's n-no problem, you know? He's just a robot, if you messed it up, I c-could always... J-just build another."

Frisk took a deep breath as Alphys placed her hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle, yet nervous nod. So... everything was okay? For a moment, Frisk thought Mettaton was a real, living monster himself. He had to be! It slowly killed her inside, just to think that she had killed Mettaton, but Alphys reconfirmed that he was just a robot. It was okay. Mettaton was going to be rebuilt. Still.. something about all this felt wrong.

"Why don't you go on ahead?" Alphys asked as she knelt down beside Mettaton's robotic remains. Frisk frowned, her hand gently pulling on Alphy's sleeve. "Let's go together." she whispered in a frail voice, still hurt from the events that had just happened.

Alphys looked down, shaking her head. Frisk didn't know. "I... I just need a moment."

The little girl gave her a nod, slowly walking towards the exit. She grasped her left arm which pained her a lot, the limb hanging from her shoulder. As she made her way into the metal corridor, the cold AC air blew across her wounds and the rush of adredaline was no longer numbing down the pain of it all. Even after her short nap, her HP had only gone up 1 point, and all of her body was in a bad condition. Her back could feel her sweater sticking unto the wound on her back, which was probably what hurt the most besides the fractured arm. She shivered as she walked alone, coming to a halt when she heard footsteps behind her.

"S-sorry about that! L-let's keep going!" Alphys voice called out to her, offering a nervous smile to which Frisk returned with a smile of her own. Walking down the long hallway, Alphys' voice once more called out to her from behind. "S-so you're about to meet ASGORE, h-huh? You must be... Y-you must be... Pr-pretty excited about that, huh?" she asked, smiling ever so nervously. With a simple nod, Frisk smiled as she looked up. "Y-yeah. I hear he's really nice. I hope he lets me cross the barrier!" Her smile cracked for a moment as the stinging on the corner of her mouth overwhelmed her for a moment.

Alphys began to break into a sweat as Frisk once more began to walk. Her smile looked so painful... she was barely able to survive Mettaton's battle. "You'll f-f-finally... You'll finally get to go home!" Alphys bursted out, noticing that Frisk had looked at her with those usual warm eyes of hers. "Yes!" She grinned through the pain, her eyes sparkling as she clung to her hopes of finally discovering herself through whoever awaited her on the surface. Someone was out there looking for her, and she'd had all the answers. Who she was, who her parent's were, why she fell...

As they approached the elevator, Alphys couldn't hold it in any longer. She stopped walking once she was a few feet away from the elevator, her eyes watching as she human used her right hand to call the elevator. "W..." she mumbled, her eyes widening as the elevator door opened. "Wait!"

Frisk turned with surprise, looking at Alphys who trembled in place. "I mean, um... I... I was just going to... ...um... say goodbye and..."

Frisk let out an 'aww', smiling as she took a step forward but was stopped when Alphys began to shake her head and had taken a step back. The silence between the two intensified, their eyes locked unto each other as though trying to come into an understanding.

"I can't take this anymore." Alphys let out an exasperated sigh, turning around when she could no longer look her in the eyes. "...I... I lied to you. A human SOUL isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. It takes at least a human SOUL... And a monster soul."

"...w-what?" Frisk whimpered, taking a step back. "W-what if I ask someone to come with me? I can do that, right? I-I-I-I d-d-don't... I don't have to..." she added, her voice stampering as she shook her head, her throat suddenly dry and scratchy.

Slowly, Alphys turned around and looked at the scared little girl, her heart aching at the sight. "If you want to go home... you'll have to take his soul. You'll have to kill ASGORE." She confirmed, her eyes slowly ascending and watching as Frisk backed away with a look of utter disgust until her back hit the wall behind her. "N-no... you're kidding, right Alphys? Right?!" Frisk asked as she cracked a fearful laugh, her once sparkling eyes now glittering with water as she slowly slid down, her legs buckling under the sudden weight on her shoulders.

Unable to watch her sudden meltdown, Alphys turned around and began to walk away. It wasn't until Frisk called out to her with a broken voice that she managed to turn around and take one last look. "Alphys! Please!" she begged as she looked at her with desperation in her eyes.

Looking away, Alphys shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"I... have to kill him..." Frisk whispered to herself, sitting on the cold floor and shivering as she slowly closed her eyes. "I don't want to kill him. I've come this far... I don't... want to..." she muttered, burying her head on her legs as she cried to herself.

" _take your time kid, what if... what if we never get to see you again after you leave_?" Sans' voice echoed in her head after a good while of crying. Lifting her sore head, Frisk looked at the empty corridor as she sniffled. If she were to face King Asgore, she doubt she'd be able to stomach doing... the deed. But monsters needed one more SOUL, right? What if she tried her hardest but King Asgore still managed to kill her, over, and over again? What if she decided to just... give up?

" _then stay a while. stay here just long enough for us to celebrate ya entering our lives_ "

Frisk rubbed her nose on her sweater, scrubbing away the dried up tears with it as well. "No matter what happens... I'll still have my second family, right?" she managed to smile, looking around her in hopes that Chara would show up, but no such thing happened. "...right. Time to go home, Frisk." she whispered to herself, getting up from the cold metal and limping into the elevator which took her back down into the lower levels.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Fast Forward to October 30th

Alphys' Lab

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans walked around the lab, going upstairs where he found Alphys working on circuitries. She was hard at work, as always, or well, recently. "sup alphys, working on mettaton 2.0?" Sans asked with his usual grin, watching as the peach colored dinosaur turned to look at him before looking back down with a frown. "I don't need your help, Sans. I told you for the twentieth time, I can do this alone. ...how's Frisk, by the way?"

Sans walked past Alphys, getting a better angle of the circuit board. "oh, you know, making friends and hanging out with mk. that kid's getting too close to my kid, heh. ...uh, you know, you could improve this if you just-" began Sans, leaning forward and beginning to point when Alphys turned to look at him with a slightly frustrated expression. "Sans! Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, really, I do, but this is all my fault, and I need to fix it myself. You were right! I was putting Frisk in danger, and she almost... a-a-and Mettaton..."

Sans backed away, his grin slowly falling flat as Alphys put down her welding gun and looked down. "I'm just... so sorry. I'm sorry about everything. Everything's my fault, everything I do always goes wrong an-and I can't make it tomorrow. The festival, I mean. I can't show myself, I-I'm sorry. That's my final answer."

"oh." Sans managed to say, looking with a defeated frown. "i see. **tibia** honest, the kid's been asking about you and mettaton. her bones are still pretty rattled up about what happened, but she's genuninely concerned about you, as is Undyne. she's been complainin' that you've been holed up in ya lab. can't you at least return her **skel-phone** calls?"

Alphys looked the other way, grabbing another piece of circuit board as she shook her head. "I'm sorry... I-I-I'm not ready to talk to people. P-Pl-Please Sans... just leave me alone."

"Sans! The flowers are blooming!" exclaimed Frisk as she jumped up and down, pointing down at the large pot which had four little purple flowers. Closing the door behind him, Sans grinned as he usually would, his hand patting her head. "that's great kiddo. did you finish your costume for tomorrow?" he asked, leaning forward as he observed the thriving flowers. It'd hadn't been too long ago that Frisk had gotten sad that the flower had died, now she was excited to see the seeds had finally bloomed, no thanks to his growth formula, he was sure. Still... it wouldn't have been possible without her watering that darn pot every day.

Frisk began to walk to the couch where she got an orange stripped shirt. "MK and I are going to dress up as each other! He gave me his old shirt, it fits a bit loose, but I like it! Eh? Is something wrong, Sans?" asked Frisk, noticing that Sans had suddenly looked a bit irked. "mk huh? you two uh... gettin' pretty close kid." Sans replied, noticing that the little girl had begun to blush immensely. She giggled, hiding her cheeks with her hands as she moved from side to side. "You really think so, dunkle Sans?" asked Frisk, fluttering her eyes a brilliant smile. "I mean, he's really cute once you get to know him, and well, I guess he's no Juan but, I think we make a really great team. Maybe once I start going to monster school and grow older-" Frisk added, stopping when Sans perked up and stared at her. "monster school? grow older? uh kid, you're not forgetting about the surface, are ya? i mean, we want ya to stay, really, we do, but isn't it your mission to get back to your dad?"

"My... dad...? B-but you're my dunkle, right? Dunkle Sans, I... I'm scared. Maybe I don't want to go to the surface, not if I have to..."

Frisk looked up into Sans' gentle eyesockets, his grin softening as his hand once more tussled her hair. "i was scared too, you know? too many what if's, not enough certainty. but ya know, sometimes you gotta do what'chu gotta do kid. like these flowers, i mean, the flower was pretty dead by day two, but now we got more, and i'm certain even more are gonna grow. you're a pretty darn special kid. i just know you'll save everyone... including yourself if you're determined enough. keep your **shin** up." he winked as he slapped his knee, his other hand holding the largest purple flower that had bloomed. With wide open eyes, Frisk cracked a smile and watched as he placed the flower on her ear.

"SAAANS, DID YOU JUST PICK A FLOWER?! THEY JUST BLOOMED!" Papyrus scolded as he whisked the cake mix outside the kitchen. Undyne popped her head out, looking at the little child whose face was now framed by a purple flower. "Oh my GOD! She looks too FREAKIN' CUTE!" exclaimed Undyne as she beat several eggs with her bare hands. Thankfully, it was a metal pot, so... no bowls were broken in the making of the choco-flan.

Blushing, Frisk looked down bashfully. "Thank you Undyne... Well, let's finish making the choco-flan! Then we can go meet up with MK at the dump and pick up last minute decorations for the alter."

Sans whistled, looking at the nifty little alter Papyrus and Frisk had made yesterday. He noticed two drawings and a portrait, and upon closer inspection, he realized Frisk and Papyrus had drawn their loved ones, or what they could vaugly remember. Certainly, his momster did not wear a blonde wig, but maybe that was because Papyrus wouldn't draw white on a white piece of paper. And her favorite color was purple, not blue... why was she wearing a blue dress? Ah, no matter. Next her was... well, no one remembers Gaster but Papyrus seemed pretty point on. Black clothes, white turtle neck, flat mouth, yep. That was Gaster. Did Papyrus remember their dad...? Nah. No way. No one did, just him and King Asgore. They were the only ones that received the implant before Gaster fell into oblivion, which somehow power up whatever it was that made them... an anomaly themselves. The ability to remember. Sure, Asgore's implant was much less effective and therefore, without negative consequences, but himself? Damn. The reason why he was able to remember everything, even if most of it came through nightmares. Sometimes, Sans wondered if being oblivious like Papyrus was a heavenly gift... to live without the burden of knowing.

Glancing over at another piece of paper, he could see that Frisk had drawn several people. Oh, damn. 'Mama, Fernando, Tio Juju. Todos. (Everyone)'. "...everyone? they're just blobs..." Sans mumbled, his hand grasping the paper as he looked closely. Florence had no face, but wore a long skirt and long sleeved blouse that fell unto the sides of her shoulders. She looked like she was dancing. Fernando and Juju looked like they were both dressed in the same black formal wear, although by the looks of it, Juju did look a bit older and wore shades. A cool dude, eh? And then, there was the black blobs. Everyone? Who was everyone? He certainly couldn't ask the kid, what if she broke down because of it? What if she doesn't remember? What if she vaugely remembers...? She did wake up the other day saying she'd kill someone, but who? A monster? A... human?

"What, you gonna stare at her drawing all day, lazy bones? Why didn't you draw someone?" asked Undyne who had sneaked up on Sans, flexing her muscles as she stretched. Beating up the eggs sure was fun.

Sans turned and laughed. "what a **humerus** joke. i might just laugh my **tail bone** off. heh. what? not much for anatomy puns? too **dry** for you?" he winked, noticing that Undyne had picked up an actual portrait. "Ugh, quit the puns and be serious for a moment. This is serious for the little shrimp, so I took it seriously. I mean... it'd be nice if they really did come back, even if we can't see them. Maybe they can, or maybe they can't, I don't know, but, it's a comforting thought. Don't you miss your mom?" asked Undyne, looking down at the old portrait which had begun to fade on the folds. Did Undyne carry it around? Who knows.

Sans shrugged, putting down the drawing. "they might. maybe they look over us, but... but i'd rather keep her resting then worrying over me. i'm a trouble maker, after all." Sans replied with a shrug, looking over the portrait of two fish people. Huh. "you look like your pops, undyne. got your ma's hair though, that's nice. ey, isn't that your house?" asked Sans. Behind the tall fish man with blue scales and the slightly shorted green scaled fishwoman was what appeared to be Undyne's house next to a lake. "It looks like it, I really wouldn't know, I wasn't around yet. Sometimes I imagine how my Da' would be like. He looks really fierce!" She grinned, gently returning the portrait back unto the alter. "Anyways, Frisk and Paps are finishing up in the kitchen, and we're going to the dump to try and pick up a few last minute decorations. You gonna tag along or are you and Grillby gonna hang out again?" asked Undyne as she adjusted her leather jacket.

"yeah sure, i'll come along, after all, you might need a **hand**?" he winked, extending out his palm but Undyne only knocked it away. "Pfft, whatever. Oh, yo Frisk, ya ready? Let's go!"

"Frisk! Are you ready for tomorrow? I found a pink tape, do you think you could help me with the sweater?" asked MK as he caught up the small band of monsters. Frisk had gotten up, a golden flower adorning her other ear. "Sure! I can't wait for tomorrow! I heard Muffet was making little mini donuts! Is it true?!" asked Frisk with enthusiasm in her voice. The orange colored dinosaur nodded with the same enthusiasm.

While Papyrus and Undyne searched a pile, Sans napped idly, that is, until he heard MK's voice. Ah... the little armless dinousaur that was captivating little Frisks' innocent and far too young heart. "hey buddy... do your parents know you're here?" chuckled Sans as he opened one eye. "Eh!? No! Don't tell my parents! Please!" exclaimed the little monster with sudden fright.

Frisk laughed, twirling in place before letting herself fall down unto the pile of golden flowers. "MK, maybe I should meet your parents." she giggled, watching as the monster fell down with a look of surprise. "Oh... um, no, it's probably best if you didn't." he replied, making himself comfortable as the flowers snuggled him.

"Why not? I mean, aren't they coming to the festival?" asked Frisk as she got up and leaned over MK, her large fluttering eyes filling his view. "N-n-no! Ack! Frisk, you're too close!" Mk laughed, his head gently nudging her away. Falling back unto the flower, Frisk looking up into the ceiling where she had fallen from once and awoken in the same spot. "But why not, MK? I'd love to my parents with me." Frisk replied, her hands on her belly as she closed her eyes.

Sans opened both his eyes, noticing that MK had suddenly gotten quiet. Oh no. Was he another orphan? All this time? "hey kid, where do you live?" asked Sans casually, noticing that MK had gotten a bit nervous. "Around here... doesn't matter! Hey Frisk, what's your favorite doughnut flavor?"

Sans sighed, looking over Undyne who had taken out her cell phone and looked over it with a sadness in her eyes. Man. Even if things seemed so good down here in the underground, it was the little details that made Sans realized not everything was okay.

*********°*********•*********°*********

October 31

*********°*********•*********°*********

Papyrus walked down the stairs, noticing that Moster Kid was snuggling in a blanket where he had fallen asleep last night. As he made his way across the living room, he noticed that the kitchen light was turned on. Huh. Undyne usually woke up a bit later.

"UNDYNE, YOU'RE UP EAR-SANS? ARE YOU COOKING?" Papyrus asked with a yawn, noticing that the short skelly was walking around the kitchen with a spoon, tasting what smelled like spaghetti. "yep, couldn't sleep right. needs more pepper. say, where do you keep the pepper, paps?" asked Sans who walked around with what looked like one of his old science shirts. "GAS PLANETS... SANS, I THOUGHT YOU THREW OUT ALL YOUR SCIENCE SHIRTS?" asked Papyrus who walked towards one of the cabinets and handed Sans what he needed. The grinning skeleton looked down with a slight surprised expression. "oh... forgot to change shirts. eh, yeah, i kept a few around, i mean, can you really get rid of space shirts with rockets on them? hey, can you check the freezer and see if the chocolate is frozen?"

Papyrus cocked his eyebrow line, walking to the freezer and noticing that Sans had appearantly made chocolate bars and chocolate balls. "SANS, ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT? YOU'RE ACTING REALLY STRANGE..." Asked Papyrus as he closed the door to the freezer, noticing that Sans was now slurping on a spaghetti noodle. "mmhm, a little longer... eh? me? i'm **butter** than ever!" he winked as he picked up a butter block.

"OH MY GOD SANS, SERIOUSLY? IT'S TOO EARLY FOR YOUR PUNS!" Papyrus scolded, putting his hands on his hips.

"but now's the best **thyme** for them! when else can i **sage** these puns, **paprika**?" Sans grinned as he showed off each individual bottle. "SAAAANS!" Exclaimed Papyrus, turning his head when he saw little Frisk standing with her orange striped poncho. "What's cookin' good lookin'?" she grinned, skipped her way into the kitchen. Papyrus breathed in, attempting to calm down now that the human was with them.

"sup monster kiddo? ready to start off the festival, are we?" asked Sans as he turned back to his spaghetti. Frisk nodded, walking up to Sans and watching as he cooked. "It smells really good... I didn't know you could cook."

Papyrus crossed his arms. "OF COURSE NOT! MAKING SPAGHETTI REQUIRES A LOT OF DISCIPLINE AND YEARS OF LEARNING EACH CONDIMENT, THERE'S NO WAY-" he began to say when Frisk tasted the sauce. "It's really good!" she exclaimed, tasting her lip for leftover sauce.

"NYEH?"

"thanks kid, momster's tasted better though. it's just missing her enthusiasm and her love." Sans replied, grabbing a small bowl and carefully curling the spaghetti inside before pouring the sauce ever so delicately. "it's uh, tradition to have your loved one's favorite stuff on that thing, right? well, she certainly loved making spaghetti. maybe i'll make some more **tomato**." he winked, walking out of the kitchen.

Papyrus rushed to the stove, noticing that Sans had made just enough sauce and noodles for one little bowl. "Taste it, it's really good!" Frisk insisted, grabbing the spoon and holding it out for him to take. "NGH... ALRIGHT, I SHALL TASTE HIS SPAGHETTI."

Frisk smiled, watching as Papyrus' eyes lit up and his hand trembled with the spoon. "W-WH-WHAT? SANS! SANS, THIS TASTES JUST LIKE MOTHER'S!"

Sans came into the kitchen with his hands in the pockets of his shorts. "calm down paps, you're gonna wake up our guest, sheesh. anyways, i'm gonna get some shut eye, good morning." he yawned, waving before he left the kitchen.

Frisk waved back, turning to Papyrus who seemed to be trying to scoop out as much sauce as he could, **relishing** in the comforting memory of mom's spaghetti.

After watering the flower pot, Frisk joined up with her friends outside the Snowdin home. Sans seemed to be dressed up as a cat, and she had drawn whiskers on his cheeks. Papyrus had dressed up as a magician, complete with a top hat, a long cape, and a tree branch wand. Or... perhaps he was a wizard. Who knows. MK had of course managed to snag a blue t-shirt big enough for him, and Frisk had helped put pink stripes on him so that it resembled her now signature sweater. During their time at the dump yesterday, Papyrus had found an old hat that resembled a cowboy's, so he was... Cowboy Frisk! As for Frisk... well, she found orange paint and had added freckles to her cheeks. After careful examination, they both agreed that the orange shirt had to become a poncho, and that's how it came to be! Thankfully, since it was loose enough, it remains to look much like what MK wore, with arm mobility for Frisk. Then... came the accesories. After spending the day at their house, MK had realized that Frisk had a really cool cowboy hat and gun! And so... Cowgirl MK was born! It really did look super cool... the two cowboy twins!

"Alright twerps! I'm ready, let's go!"

Frisk turned back, looking at Undyne who wore a long white blouse with a black under bust and leather pants. Those rugged old boots and that toy sword she borrowed... she looked like a pirate!

Sans noticed she had put away her phone with a low key frown, but she had quickly changed into a grin. "Hey shrimps, yaarrgg forgetting these." she said while handing them bandandas. "Oh! My manly bandana! Thank you Undyne. You look great!"

MK looked almost as though he were vibrating in place as Frisk put a blue bandana around his neck. He was trying so hard not to jump from excitement it seemed. Undyne on the other hand, used a white bandana to keep her long red hair back, while still rocking the pirate look. Sans almost wanted to ask her if Alphys had changed her mind, but by the look she had worn earlier, it seemed that Alphys was still adament about keeping herself shut away.

"Oh, a cowboy posse! Do you have room for another?" asked a familiar voice.

"GRILLBY! YOU LOOK LIKE A MIGHTY FINE COWBOY IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF, AND I DO! WHY, YOU'RE EVEN WEARING CHAPS! YOU WORKED REALLY HARD ON YOUR COSTUME, DIDN'T YOU?" asked Papyrus.

Sans moved aside and half gasped when he saw Grillby. Yep, he definitely went overboard. "A mighty thanks sir... err... wizard? I remember I used to have such a big fascination with cowboys when I was younger. Still, I think Frisk's costume looks much better than mine. You look cute too, MK." Grillby wore a black cowboy hat along with a black leather vest and denim pants which seemed to have a few scorch marks. He wore tan chaps, how he came across chaps, beat Sans, but _damn_ did it look good. His white and blue flannel shirt was buttoned so that his upper buttons were unbuttoned, and quite honestly, Sans thought he looked pretty darn good. He wondered who he was trying to impress.

"I'M THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASTER WIZARD AND MAGICIAN IN THE ART OF MAGIC! NYEH HEH HEH~" winked Papyrus, his tree brach engulfing in smoke and turning into a bone.

A tall figure with a white bedsheet floated towards them behind Grillby. "Hello, la la~"

With a blush, Grillby smiled and introduced them. "Ah, River Person is with me, I hope you don't mind?"

In the back, Sans walked with his hands the pockets of his jacket, watching as everyone seemed to be having their own little conversations while he could only think. All this time he had spent it uncovering most of the truth hidden in locked caches along with Grillby but now that it was over... well... he felt out of place.

"Sans... you look cute." Frisk complimented as she slowed down until she was walking beside the lonely skelly. Startled, Sans flinched **mustard** up a smile. "heh, hey kiddo, thanks. why aren't you in the front with everyone else?" he asked, adjusting the cat head piece. "You've always been working so hard, I dunno. I just wanted to spend more time with my dunkle Sans." she explained, her eyes shining as they would usually do. "i see you still use the word 'dunkle'. makes a good word, huh?" he chuckled, remember how the two of them had smashed the words 'dad' and uncle' together one night as he read her to sleep.

Now, it was time for Frisk to be somber. She nodded but the glimmer in her eyes had begun to fade. "I'm leaving soon, Sans. After tomorrow's party, I'm going to head up to the castle."

Sans looked ahead where the party was now several feet away. "hey kid, cheer up. you still have your dunkle sans until then, and i still have you." he spoke in a gentle voice as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Letting her head fall down unto his shoulder, the two slowly followed the group.

"Trick or Treat!" exclaimed the party, all of them grinning with their bags out as Blooky looked at them all with shock. "...is that another ghost?" he asked, looking at RP who had two little holes that were supposed to be for their eyes... but it was empty. "Boo, la la, la la~" RP replied, holding nothing but standing for aesthic reasons.

"Oh... it's a good costume. Um... I made snail candy? I didn't have time to make real candy, sorry..." Blooky replied, putting five pieces of snail candy in everyone's bag. "...can I come along?" he asked nervously, worried that they might say no.

Frisk grinned. "Sure, come along Blooky! You and River Person will be the ghost twins just like me and monster kid!"

"ALRIGHT, THIS IS THE LAST HOUSE, THEN ITS OFF TO MY HOME FOR THE TEN O'CLOCK PARTY!" Papyrus said, watching as Frisk nodded and walked up the lab door. Beside her, Sans watched the camera and glanced towards Undyne who seemed to look nervous much like Napstablook. **"come on alphys... just say hi..."** Sans thought to himself as Frisk knocked once more.

"Happy Hallowed Wenn-Blooky?"

Frisk grinned as the door opened but looked confused when a pink ghost happened to be at the door. "...trick or treat...?" Frisk asked, watching as the pink ghost fluttered its eyes and nodded. "Of course darling, here's your candy. It's been nice meeting you, GOODBYE!"

Frisk watched as the pink ghost quickly threw handfuls into their bags and closed the door. "...WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" asked Papyrus, looking at Undyne who was just as equally surprised. "I... I dunno. I didn't know Alphys had another close friend... Napsta, do you know this ghost?"

Napstablook trembled under the sudden pressure. "I... I don't... I... t-that was... he's my cousin. Um... can we continue walking please...?"

Sitting around the living room, everyone who had a bag of goodies was now gathered around on the carpet and eating what they had gotten.

"Yo Napsta, these snail candies are legit! I thought you only had ghost food." Undyne grinned as she ate her late snail candy. "Oh... thank you." blushed Napstablook, turning to look at Frisk. "Well... I had extra snails around, and I know ghost food goes right through so... well. Yeah."

RP floated in the corner silently looking down at the pet rock who had a few rainbow colored sprinkles around it. "OH, THAT'S SANS' PET ROCK! WOULD YOU LIKE TO FEED IT, RIVER PERSON?" asked Papyrus who had gotten up from the carpet. "Pet rock, la la? Insteresting." it said watching as Papyrus walked over and offered a small bottle of sugary sprinkles. Shaking its head, Papyrus took it as a no and began to sprinkle the rock.

"Oh hey Napsta... about your cousin... um... have they always been friends with Alphys? I mean, Alphys never mentioned him so you know, I was really surprised." Undyne casually asked, glancing at the ghost who had suddenly looked down. "Oh... um, well, they've known each other for a good while now. He's been really busy up until recently... uh, hey Frisk, you promised chocolate cake, right?"

Before Undyne could squeeze any more information, Frisk jumped up with a laugh. "Yes! Leftover Choco-Flan! Let me go get it! I hope there's enough..." Napstablook began to float along side the little girl. "I'll help."

"yo grillbz, trade ya my chocolate ball for the snail candy." asked Sans, holding a small chocolate sphere. "Hm... interesting trade, but I'll stick to my snail candy." Grillby replied, noticing that Sans grin had suddenly widened. "grillby, you **slime** monster, you. good pun buddy. you're finally coming out of your **shell**."

"SAAANSS! DON'T RUIN THIS WONDERFUL DAY WITH YOUR PUNS!" Papyrus exclaimed, looking as though he would burst a bone. Beside him, RP chuckled. "So cute, la la~"

Grillby looked down unto the rolled up snail candy piece, his cheeks growing whiter and the flames underneath the cowboy hat getting intense. "uh oh, **slow** down buddy, you might **burn** out." Sans laughed as he got up and tried taking off Grillby's cowboy hat which had a few smoke trails. The slightly emberassed flamesman could only hold on to his hat, trying to bury his shame inside the hat. "S-stop it Sans! My hat is fine!"

Meanwhile, Undyne took out her cell phone, looking at its wallpaper. Ah... back when she and Alphys would go out and explore the dump. They'd try to find rare items of interest, or anything that seemed fun... just looking at Alphys wearing those goofy glasses made Undyne wish they could back to those days. Ever since Frisk broke Mettaton accidently, she's been shut away in that lab of hers. Sure, a phone call or two would go through but she'd usually keep the chatter to a minumum and say she was busy. The selfie of them grinning in front of the waterfall made Undyne wonder if maybe Alphys was just in a nerd phase, trying to rebuild Mettaton. Maybe Mettaton being broken was too much of her nerdy heart?

Clutching her phone, Undyne put it away in her pocket where she felt the envelope.

Ah.. these stupid letters. She was hoping these letters might cheer her up. After all, she did say she found these letters to be cute. She'd blush and laugh, saying they were probably a joke.

"Here's your piece, Undyne!" Frisk offered, holding a small piece of Choco-flan. The blue lady looked up almost startled but managed to play it off with a laugh. "Ah, thanks shrimp. So, this is the famous cake we heard about... man, I was wondering if we'd get a piece. So, what's gonna happen to all the food on that thing?" asked Undyne, as she looked towards the alter where the drawings and portrait were along with a few items and food.

"Oh, we get to eat them at the end of the day. Do you like it, Grillby?" asked Frisk as she watched Grillby take a first bite. "Chocolate cake... with... what is this? Tastes like caramel and custard... it's actually good. I'm not disappoint kiddo." he replied, noticing the grin on her face. "Hehe, thanks Grillby! Geeze, I still can't believe you talk." giggled Frisk, turning to Undyne who seemed to have a satisfied smile. "That was good, but I'm gonna sleep it off now. See you in a bit Papyrus," yawned Undyne as she put the bowl unto the coffee table.

While Undyne walked up the stairs, Grillby asked Frisk, "Aren't you going to eat some?"

Shaking her head, Frisk yawned and walked over the alter, clasping her hands together. "Nah, it doesn't taste the same as my mama's. Besides, I already had too many sweets. Are you going to stay over too, Grillby? And what about your parents, Monster Kid? Aren't they worried?"

The little monster who had been silently eating candy looked up with surprise. "Huh? Nah, they'll fine, but... is it really okay if I stay over again?" he asked timidly, turning to look at the short skeleton who seemed to be fiddling with the left over candy wrappers. "yeah sure, grillbz can stay in my room tonight as long as monster kid stays out here in the couch and not in frisk's room." he said in a somewhat strict tone, his eyesocket glancing at the little monster who seemed to tense up all of a sudden. "Y-Y-yes sir!"

Grillby looked over to RP who seemed to be leaning over the table, watching the rock intensely while Papyrus continued to savor his piece of choco-flan. "Um, yeah, sure, I can stay. River Person...?"

Napstablook looked towards the tall figure, wondering to himself if this was some sort of sleep over for everyone. Did this include himself...?

"Sorry, la la, I can not stay. Tomorrow I'll come and play." it sang, looking up and giving a small nod before it turned to the door and proceeded to leave. "...oh... um... well it is getting late and it feels like this a full house... ...I'll just... ...take myself out. Thanks guys." Napstablook excused himself, also following in RP's floating path. He couldn't stay with Undyne asking so many questions. What if Metta didn't want anyone to know his past before becoming Mettaton?

Frisk opened her eyes, her hands still clasped together. "Oh, wa-oh... they left already. Ah... I guess I'll see them tomorrow." Frisk said, managing a smile before she got up. "Um... Tomorrow's a big day. I'm gonna get some rest, good night everyone."

Monster kid got up and sat down on the couch, looking at Sans who watched as Frisk had gone up the stairs. "...tomorrow, huh?"

"So... we woke up super early to make spaghetti? Do you think this will cheer her up?" asked Grillby with a yawn after wards, leaning against the fridge. Sans shrugged. "you saw her yesterday. she said the same exact thing i say when i make mom's spaghetti. it never tastes as good." Sans replied, taking a step back and watching as the noodles boiled. "You almost cut your finger off trying to dice the tomatoes. You should calm down a little." Grillby spoke in a gentle voice, letting his head hit the fridge as he closed his eyes.

"i know, it's just... everyone's hopes and dreams are riding on her, grillbz. lately, she's been down even though she keeps smiling away. she wanted to just give up her dream of reaching the surface, she gave up on hope when she found out the price for crossing the barrier. if chara gets to her, grillbz... i'm scared the kid will lose herself. in the time i've gotten to know her, i just... i wish i could more. i don't want her to lose all hope i did."

Grillby opened his eyes and watched as Sans boiled the sauce, and turned to the noodles. "So you're making spaghetti? Wouldn't making the cake be better?" asked Grillby, noticing several lines underneath his eye sockets. "too hard to make. mine came out tasting like burnt chocolate and gooey custard, no good, besides, florence hasn't shown herself. kinda worried now..."

"Shh. Someone's coming downstairs." Grillby whispered, moving to the door frame and taking a peek, noticing that Frisk was in her pijamas and had walked to the alter. "who is it?" whispered Sans, leaning beside Grillby.

"Angel de la guarda, dulce compania. No me desampares, ni de noche, ni de dia, hasta que descanse en los brazos de... mama mia." (Sweet companion, Guardian Angel. Don't forsake me at night or during the day, until I rest in the arms of... my mother.)

"she's praying... come on grillbz, help me make room in the freezer." Sans whispered, tugging on the flamesman's 'COOL DUDE' shirt that Papyrus had let him borrow on the condition he wouldn't burn it.

It was perhaps a few fifteen minutes later that Frisk joined them in the kitchen, her swollen eyes bring as she smiled. "Good morning! You're making spaghetti again? Is it your mama's recipe?! Papy got really excited." she bursted, running up to the stove where Sans smiled a gentle grin. "yeah. it's not the same as her spaghetti, which is why i don't like eating it, much less making it. but you know, i realized something yesterday. making people smile through cooking, even if its not the best, makes it special too, so i guess, this is **sans** ghetti. well, that and i ran out of meat balls, so i used a water sausague. also, i talked to muffet and i got the stuff to make the sugar skulls for the festival. wanna get started?"

Grillby opened the fridge, taking out all the chocolates out the freezer. "Wait, are these bones...?" he asked, turning to look at Sans who grinned widely. "edible bones."

Frisk looked at all the white chocolate shaped bones, her eyes beaming with excitement. CANDY! " **Sweet**!" she hissed, winking at Sans who laughed.

"Coming..." Blooky spoke as loud as he could, floating over to his door. When he opened the door, his ghostly eyes could not believe it. "...metta..." he whispered, moving aside as the pink ghost rushed inside with pink teardrops falling down. "I'm so sorry! I can not begin to explain how bad I feel about the way I left you, Blooky. You were my biggest supporter and when I finally had a body to call my own I just... I became jaded, that's what. I thought being able to provide the underground with smiles and laughter was everything but I realize what a fool I've been, please, could you ever forgive me?"

Closing the door, the awkward ghost floated closer with the inability to know what to say. What could he say? "I missed you, Metta." Blooky finally managed to say, watching as the pink ghost floated circles as it continued to cry. "I don't deserve it! I don't deserve your love or compassion! Even when we all were confused in our ghostly bodies you accepted us all! Even when out of the four I was the most weird and non-brotherly with my pink and dreams of dresses and perfect hair... even when the other two abadoned me you stuck by me..."

Finally coming to a stop, the pink ghost collapsed on the floor, looking at the ceiling. "Why are you so nice?" he asked, trembling as Blooky came into view. "When I was so selfish and vain? When I wanted adoring fans over our friendship? When I replaced our 'hanging out' with experiments? When I stopped sending mail? When we just... drifted apart." Metta added, watching as Blooky fell on the opposite side.

"Well..." Blooky began to say, gulping before he continued on. "Well, I was always really awkward around people and strangers. I didn't have many friends, but I like healing them and making them feel better. All the people I helped would usually leave after they got better so... well... when it was just us four, I noticed you were really scared behind your confidence. Our other cousins seemed to have bonded better... I guess I also needed you, Metta. I mean, sure, we really can't remember a lot about our human lives, but I remember we were all once like a big family. We're cousins now... no matter what, I'll always be there for you, even if you change your name, or become a rectange or a metal human..."

Metta got up and looked at Blooky who had just done the same. "Still... I want to make up for it. I don't want to leave you behind. I mean... you like making music, right? What if we teamed up? That way, we're never be seperated again."

Blooky looked at Metta, his large eyes fluttering with hope inside. He meant well. And well... being alone all the time, meant being sad. He'd go to the ruins to save mosters from his sadness, so that it would not spread. All this time, ever since Metta had left, he'd become more and more awkward, more and more reclusive until...

Frisk.

With a sigh, Blooky gave a small nod. "On one condition: I do not have to sing, dance, or be in front of a camera. I'm not ready for that big step yet." he blushed, looking away as the pink ghost jumped from joy. "You won't regret it, Blooky! With your music and my charm, we'll make monsters smile after Frisk leaves!"

Floating over to his fridge, Blooky hesitated before speaking. "Um... do you think King Asgore's going to let her pass? Metta, I know you see the good in people but..." Words could not be uttered afterwards. Silently, Napstablook floated towards Metta with two ghost sandwiches, his eyes staring into his while the two silently exchanged grim looks. "Blooky, King Asgore has to understand. That child will make him understand I'm... I'm positive things will end well." Metta responded, taking the ghost sandwich and eating it alongside Blooky who seemed to be staring off in the distance while he ate his. "King Asgore promised us freedom, Metta. King Asgore will do everything in his power to... to keep his promise." he replied, noticing that Metta had finished his sandwhich and was laying back on the floor with his eyes closed. "That means we have to send our darling Frisk all our positive energy, right?"

Blooky smiled. "Yeah. Say Metta... what happened after you left? I know you didn't want to tell me in your letters, but..." Blooky began to ask, trying to finish this sandwhich.

"Oh... well sweetie, after alphys promised to make me a proper vessel, we tried out experiments for making something that could host me, something that... could make me feel real. At first it was easy, nothing hard, but then when we started making breakthroughs, it changed. Everything changed. I could feel. I could see, I could talk, I could grab and it was just wonderful and so painful at the same time! Image being human and having sharp edges everywhere, it's horrendous, but... it was something. I guess I thought being a pink ghost was over, so I threw away my house key at the dump and basically lived there at the lab ever since. Eventually we settled on a basic vessel that I thought was really cute. I had to keep it in its most basic form, the rectangle shape that you know. When transformed, I turn into what we had been working on originally before she scrapped the idea. She was working on another vessel on the side so that I would have time to be me but... who knows. I don't remember much other than that, it's weird."

Once he was finished with his sandwhich, Blooky accompanied Metta, closing his eyes as both ghosts meditated together before Metta returned to the labs.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Day of the Dead Festival

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans watched as the two kids ran off into the crowd of monsters, all the friends that Frisk had made on her long journey which was to come to an end tonight. It was hard to believe that one year ago today... Frisk had just RESET. Frisk had managed to regain her control over her body and used whatever will power she had to spare him and he just...

"What a lovely festival, Sans. I hear you crafted these skull candies." spoke Jody, the Shop Keeper of Snowdin, her long rabbit ears flickering as little snow flakes fell. "nah, the kid did most of 'em. how's business?" asked Sans casually, noticing that Jody seemed to be staring at RP who was mysteriously waving her to go towards a shady part of the festival. "Oh! oh... it's been good. Been chatting with a new friend lately. You'll have to excuse me, I uh... really need to talk to my friend right now. Toodles," Jody smiled, nearly hopping towards RP, noticing a white patch of skin.

Sans shrugged. A friend huh? It looked like RP but... wait... a friend...

Oh my god. His best friend behind the door! Slapping his skull with his palm, he gave a heavy sigh. Why bother going there now? More than likely, the person behind the door might not be expecting him, after all, it's been nearly a year since he stopped appearing, or well, several months. No. Today, he needed to relax and take in everything about this timeline. Sans looked around him, grinning as he saw all the smiles and happiness. All of this was new, and it was thanks to Frisk. She refused Chara and they were all here now. Or maybe it was because of Florence, the ghost angel or whatever, after all, she's new too. Whatever it was that made this time line different, Sans hoped that the momentum would keep going. Something had to break the cycle. _Anything_.

"BROTHER, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASTER CHEF IN THE ART OF SPAGHETTI... MUST ASK THAT TEACH ME HOW TO MAKE MOM'S SPAGHETTI. IT'S ABSOLUTELY GOOD! WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME OF YOUR HIDDEN ABILITY?" asked Papyrus as walked to Sans with a plate of spaghetti in his hand. The short skeleton shrugged. "it's **sans** ghetti. mom's spaghetti had more of a kick and the tomatoes added a tangy after taste, but thanks for the compliment. i guess you can say its my **oregano** recipe." winked Sans laughing while Papyrus stomped his foot. "SAANS! PLEASE, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DAY!" Papyrus bursted out, his eye sockets glancing at the dancing girl who seemed to be dancing with a crowd. "don't worry paps, she's going to be okay. she's just going to talk to asgore and they'll talk it out. i'll even follow her every step of the way towards the castle, you don't have to worry about a thing." Sans responded, his hand patting his brother's arm to reassure him.

Papyrus nodded. "THANKS SANS. NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I'M GOING TO GET MORE SPAGHETTI!" Papyrus declared, turning his heel and walking to the house.

"Papyruss." hissed a familiar voice near his house, the lovely golden petals glistening as he smiled at him. The tall skeleton jumped in place, hurrying over to his old friend, Flowey. "HELLO FRIEND! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON THE PARTY!"

Flowey glanced behind Papyrus, his smile disappearing before reappearing. "No thanks Papyrus, too many feet and well, you know, they might step on me." Flowey winked with his tongue out. "Say Papyrus, have you noticed that your friend Undyne has been trying to deliver a letter to her friend Alphys? Maybe you should have your friend Frisk deliver that letter, you know, before she leaves. It'll make Undyne feel a _whole lot_ better."

Papyrus knelt down, thinking hard about all the times both he and Undyne would pass the labs and she'd hesitate about delivering a letter. Said something about it not being perfect and tarnishing her reputation because of how badly written it was. Hmm... Frisk didn't have standards for delivering letters...

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, FLOWEY! I WILL CONVIENCE UNDYNE TOMORROW! ARE YOU SURE I CAN'T CONVIENCE YOU TO JOIN US?" asked Papyrus with a grin. Flowey beamed but shook his head. "Absolutely, positively sure, Papyrus! Have fun for me, and remember... it's _our_ little secret. You know how _shy_ I am." winked Flowey before he disappeared into the earth.

"MY, WHAT A WONDERFUL FRIEND HE IS! SO THOUGHTFUL! ALRIGHT, TIME FOR MORE SPAGHETTI!"

Back in the labs, Alphys had just finished feeding the amalgamates and was staring at the large exposed experiment that the great Dr. Gaster left behind. What did it do? It looked almost like the Gyftrot that would occasionally appear in the cameras near Snowdin.

Sure, Extracting DT was one of its functions, but other than that, Alphys was sure it did more. Did she dare find out? No way. Not after... well, it was her fault. But Gaster built it! But she used it... Why did Gaster have this thing anyways? The only notes she had on the thing was her old notes although she couldn't remember _anything_ that had to do with Dr. Gaster. So sure, she broke a few cables but the thing still worked! Just... well...

With a sigh, Alphys moved on, carrying her usual cup of ramen with her. It was the only thing that comforted her in this big building. The lights above her flickered on and off momentarily, her legs taking her where her main experiment had disappeared.

Turning on the lights in the room, Alphys looked at all the golden flowers. She put down the ramen cup and walked over each flower, observing each and every one for any kind of difference.

Nothing.

All along, she was hoping that it was just her mind playing tricks. That the main flower subject had just... been mixed with all the others.

The air in the room got chilly and so Alphys immediately grabbed her warm ramen cup and left the room, turning off the lights. Ugh. That room was always scary for some reason.

With a heavy sigh, Alphys proceeded leave this level, drinking and eating the last bits of her ramen in the process. Before she got on the elevator, she threw away the ramen cup and put her hands in her lab pocket, her hand feeling a paper inside. Hm?

"Oh... this old thing. Ugh, Sans doesn't know how lucky he is. It's one thing to be a genius, but another to actually have a family and remember them. If I was as smart as he was... it'd be so easy for me to work on finding new ways to break the barrier. If I could remember my parents..."

Entering the elevator, Alphys put the wrinkly paper back into her pocket as she pressed the ground floor level... Her parents. Who were they?

She had researched the phenomenon that not only affected her, but many monsters in the underground. After the accident in the CORE, many young monsters like herself were orphaned. She knew that much from old records she had come across... records that belonged to King Asgore. He may have simply forgotten about these written reports, or misplaced them, whatever it was, Alphys knew.

Something had happened in the underground. Something big. Something... catastrophic. Monsters went missing, without a trace or... existance. No one remembered them. Even Alphys couldn't remember her parents, but they existed. Yes. They existed. In her old home, she had clothes that weren't hers, she had drawings of herself with two beings that resembled her appearce, each with unique features.

The only lead she had was one report that had been written by Dr. W.D. Gaster himself in that weird languge with a translation beside it. DARK, DARKER, YET DARKER.

Even if Alphys was smart enough to even comphrehend what this work implied all together, what this experiment's goal was... she couldn't do it. This had to be the reason why people disappeared. A darkness so dark, it surpassed the regular darkness she was afraid of. _Nooo_ thank you. Perhaps it was better untouched.

After all, King Asgore didn't seem to sweat a bit. He would be if this was important and he was keeping it a secret from monsters. So everything now was fine... right? Right.

After exiting the elevator, she let herself fall into her chair, deciding she would watch today's festivities from afar then work on Mettaton 2.0., after all, it was complete now, all that she needed to do was attach the parts together. Turning on the camera, she moved chanels until Snowdin came up, and she was blown away by the number of monsters in the area. Oh my god. It was so crowded! She could see that Muffet had set up a bakery table, with skull shaped bread and pasteries. "Oh, there's Frisk. Oh my god, did she turn into a skeleton?! Did she join Sans in eternal bliss!?" she exclaimed with glee in her voice as she zoomed in, noticing that parts of her painted white skin were still a peach color. Oh. Paint. She decorated herself to look like a really pretty skeleton. The purple and golden flowers on her ears looked really pretty.

But perhaps what captivated her heart the most was Undyne who wore leather pants and a white blouse with an underbust. She looked... like a pirate. A really... sexy pirate. Looking away, Alphys changed the chanel. No. Undyne was far too good for her. Besides, why would she ever like a messed up monster like herself who only screwed up everything she touched?

Changing the chanel, she noticed a lot of the monsters were either playing, dancing, or chattering amongst themselves. She could clearly see River Person talking with Grillby, but... but another tall hooded figure was talking to Jody the rabbit far off, away from all the other monsters. Whaaaat? _Two_ River Persons? Was that even possible?

Zooming in, Alphys could see white fur coming from the arms of the robed figure, but before Alphys could find out who it was, the figure walked off. That was... suspicious.

"Howdy Alphys, why aren't you at the festival?"

Startled, Alphys jumped in place complete with the chair, turning around and looking up to King Asgore who smiled with a blush. "Sorry, I forget you're easily startled. Eh... I forget everyone is easily startled. Gerson and I were just walking around the deserted area and thought to see what all the hullabaloo was about." smiled the King, his eyes watching through the screen as everyone was having fun.

The old turtle smiled. "Told ya they were havin' a party! Hmp! Not inviting the king, how rude of them, I tell you what!"

Laughing, the tall mountain king shook his head. "No dear friend, it's for the best. If what you tell me is true... then soon... well, no matter. Alphys, would you care to have a cup of tea at the castle with Gerson and I? We are rather lonely today, and I'm sure we can discuss about upgrading the cooling system in the underground should... w-well what do you say? I also need to talk to you about dropping off the SOUL jars, but we can discuss everything at the castle. Is that alright with you?"

Gerson watched as the nervous reptilian got up. "I-I-I-I... I-I'd love to!"

As the three monsters made their way to the castle in the empty streets, a golden flower watched and followed with its laughter rumbling low enough for them to not hear it.

The Day of the Dead celebration went on without a hitch. Everyone was smiling, laughing, dancing, singing-it was everything Frisk had hoped for. As night descended, monsters started to leave and soon the crowded street of Snowdin found itself empty.  
Frisk and MK walked away from Muffet's table while she began to put away all her left over emergency pastries. She had sold out and had to bring in tomorrow's baked goods which meant her bake sale today was beyond a total success! She waved goodbye to the two kids as she and her spider friends continued to put away things. Coming to the intersection of the street, MK stopped and turned to the human girl. "That was so much fun, Frisk! I guess... I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for not telling my parents anything about our adventures and for being my best friend. I'll miss you a lot!" MK managed to say as fast as he could before his head swooped in beside hers and planted a love tap on her cheek before running off full of emberassment. Frisk blushed, her hand on her cheek as she stood there in amazement. "B-Bye MK!" She called out, managing to smile afterwards. It was getting harder to keep smiling when her future seemed so bleak. Shaking her head, she walked towards Papyrus' house, her ballerina shoes feeling damp with all the snow that occasionally managed to seep in.

The cold air that brushed her ankles reminded her of something. She grew. These pants used to cover her ankles, but now they reached mid calf, almost like capris, and the demin was loose but now it got really tight! It was a good thing Papyrus knew how to use a needle, because together they added extra denim parts to the pants so it'd fit. And her sweater... her sweater used to be so comfortable and loose, not to mention super long but now it hugged her body. It had several holes and cuts from previous battles, but the darn thing was one of the few things she had left of her previous life and she was going to wear it!

As she shivered and hugged her belly, a rock underneath all the snow caused her to trip and fall.

 _"Mama, I'm scared. Tengo miedo. Papa said monsters lived in the mountain…"_

Frisk's eyes fluttered as she pushed herself off the snow, her head beginning to hurt. "...I said that... that's my voice..." she whispered as she sat in the snow and closed her eyes. "...gotta... remember..."

 _A cry of pain escaped the lips of the mother, her hand letting go of her daughter as she clenched her chest. "C-corre! Vive! Vive!" (R-run! Live! Live!) Shouted the mother as she gasped for air, trying to run. The little girl looked back, her eyes widening as she saw her mother's beautiful dress drenched in blood and toppling over._

Frisk opened her eyes, her breath quickening as the headache intensified. Something bad happened. Her mother was dying and telling her to run. But why? Run where? Live? Who was she running from?

Inhaling sharply, Frisk grasped her head as hard as she could as the throbbing stings inside her head only got stronger. It felt like something was poking her head inside, but she had to remember. "...remember..." she whispered to herself, an intense bang inside her head causing her to tremble as the sound of thunder rung inside her head.

 _"Papa! Papi... porque estaban peleando?" she whimpered as the rain poured down unto her face where it joined her tears. The tall figure in front of her took once step closer, a flash of lighting illuminating his angered face. His black eyes flashed with fury as his lips were shut tightly, slowly bending down into a slight frown as his right hand glided over his torso and left breast underneath his black formal suit. Loud crackling thunder pierced her ears and another white flash illuminated his angry expression as she gently sobbed. In the distance, she could hear her mother's voice. "Donde estas?!" (Where are you?!) she screamed in a desperate tone. Her eyes slowly descended down unto his right hand which gripped a black metallic object, very slowly bringing it out before he changed his mind and put it back in the inside pocket. She shivered as the pain her head only grew, and another white flash illuminated his expression which seemed to have reverted back to being stoic. "Cuida tu mama. Pobresita de ti si algo le pasa..." (Take care of your mother. If something happens to her, you'll be sorry...*rough translation*). He warned her, turning around and walking off while she shook in her place. Her hands gripped the rocky soil as she fell forward, taking deep breaths as the pain in her head seemed unbearable. "Poque... estaban peleando...?" her hot breath whispered as she let herself collapse, feeling the beating of the rain agains ther body until finally while she closed her eyes. "FLOR!"_

"FRISK! Shrimp! Hey, hey, wake up! What the heck are you doing sleeping out in the snow!? You're freezing!" Shouted Undyne as she scooped up the little human into her arms. Undyne shook the body, sighing in relief as the girl opened her eyes and stared at her. "He came back. He came back and they got into a fight..." whispered Frisk as her eyes moved around as though she her thoughts were spinning. "I... I lived in San Marcus... I tripped after the day of the dead festival running up the mountain with my mom, we were running away from people, it was a the next day after my dad visited us..." cringed Frisk as her hands grasped her head.

"frisk! what happened undyne!?" asked Sans as he hurried over, getting on his tippie toes as he made sure her eyes were still the same chocolate brown. "Shh, hey, hey, hey, calm down kid. You're getting worked up again. If you think too hard, your head's gonna hurt..." Undyne tried say as soothly was possible but Frisk only seemed to panic even more.

 _"If you think too hard, your head's gonna hurt! Just do what I taught you. Breathe in, and breath out. ...Yeah, just like that." spoke Dr. Goodman, grabbing a lollipop and handing it to the little girl who grinned. "Que decimos, Flor?" (What do we say, Flor?) asked her mother, smiling as the girl replied, "Thank you very much, Dr. Goodman!" While she unwrapped the lollipop and kicked her legs, she could overhear their whispers. "She will be okay Miss Cast-ee-lio, but she may suffer from severe long term and minor short term memory loss permenantly if she doesn't improve soon. She might not remember anything that caused her her injuries, and it will easy for her to forget certain things from now on, which is why you must go over the mental excerises in the morning and at night, just to be safe. Her coordination with her arms and legs has improved dramatically, so nothing to worry about that. Do try to keep her calm and relaxed, no stress or anything that might upset her, but she's a happy kid, I can see that."_

"...kid, hey, dunkle sans is here, just look at me. you're safe and look, papy brought the book with the cute rabbits on it. just snap out of it and come back." Sans spoke with an urgent tone, his hands grasping hers as her eyes fluttered and she looked around her room. She looked down and realized she was in her pj's, "Oh, sorry shrimp, your clothes were wet and freezing. I hope you don't mind." Undyne apologized, her hands fiddling with her fingers as she looked on with worry. "FRISK, YOU HAD ME SO WORRIED! YOU WERE JUST STARING OFF INTO THE DISTANCE, I THOUGHT READING OUR FAVORITE BED TIME STORY WOULD HELP BRING OUT A REACTION... I GUESS IT WORKED!" smiled Papyrus although Frisk could see that he too had been worried sick.

Stifling a sniffle, Frisk looked at Sans and could barely hold together a smile. "...thank you, dunkle Sans. I... I remembered more things, but, I don't think think I'll remember everything now that I know my head's all messed up. What if I forget you, and everyone after I leave?" asked Frisk on verge of tears, trying to steady her breaths but her tears fell the instant Sans hugged her, followed by Papyrus and eventually Undyne who climbed unto the bed. "shh, don't say that kiddo. you remembered things, right? you remembered feelings, and people you didn't even know existed. if you ever forget, your heart will remind you of your feelings, right? you never forgot about your mom, and the bonds we share are too strong for you to simply forget about them forever... i know for a fact i'll never forget you."

Papyrus loosened his grip and wiped away the tears as he looked into the human's sad eyes. "DON'T CRY HUMAN... I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM VERY HARD TO FORGET, AND I KNOW I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU EITHER. YOU ARE, AFTER ALL, THE BEST ASSISTANT CHEF A MASTER CHEF COULD EVER ASK FOR, AND I'M GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH, HUMAN."

Undyne let go, looking the other way while she wiped the sudden tear that had dropped. "Ugh Paps, are you crying? Come on man, you gotta clean this room better, the dust is getting to everyone." she joked, looking at Frisk seemed to be trying to laugh while she yawned.

Sans took the light book and made himself comfortable next to the kid. "alright, here's to our possibly last bed time story..."

Undyne jumped off the bed. "Wait! Let the kid open the surprise gift first! Hey Frisk, someone left this at the front door for you."

Papyrus was already comfortly laying down beside Frisk who was about to get comfortable herself. "Oh... okay."

Her little fingers wrapped the bow and opened the top of the rectangular box which said 'To Frisk, handle with care. Do not shake the box.'

The sweet aroma of Butterscotch Cinnamon pie filled the room, and immediately Frisk's eyes got teary eyed once more. "Mama..."

"IS THAT PIE!?" asked Papyrus with an overly enthusiastic voice while Sans analyzed Frisk. Oh... that's right. This pie reminded her of her mother's choco-flan cake... but then, that meant the person behind the door must've baked it...

...how did it get here? That was impossible. The only monsters able to go to and from the underground to the RUINS were little tiny spiders. ...Maybe they got the recipe to Muffet and she baked it...?

Wasting no time, the friends cut the pie and they all ate a piece before the bedtime story. Finally at peace, Frisk fell asleep with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Luckily for her, there was a left over piece for her to take tomorrow. As she slept soundly in her bed, a warm orb of light would settle on her forehead occasionally when Frisk would thrash around in her bed. Florence, Sans figured. Even though he wanted to speak her, the deep exhaustion of working late at night finally caught up to him and he would only return to his deep sleep beside the girl. If Chara showed up tonight, he wasn't going to let her get to his kid.

Back inside the labs, deep within L9, the lights to C.H.A.R.A. glowed bright while the main computer on the ground level turned to static. Electronic noises screeching in another foreign language erupted in the empty room. Wingdings.

*Your DETERMINATION means nothing.

*Soon, **We** will destroy it.

*The world will fade from existance.

* _ **I**_ will Your BEST Nightmare.

*After all...

*...since when were **you** the one in control?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Puppy Barks!

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sup guys. So hyped, amirite? No? Too much of a cliff hanger?

SO.

Three endings. Each with two or three variations. Has this ever been done in writing? I don't know, probably by a D&D type of book. Here's to hoping it'll satisfy most people with different views on as to how this little semi-AU tale and perhaps prequel to my AU-post game should end.

Why didn't I just choose one ending and be done with it? Well Undertale had 3 endings, right? And there's always a different view or angle that gets certain information that the other didn't. Besides, don't you have a certain book or game where the ending was so... not what you were expecting? *cough*MASS EFFECT3*cough* I mean sure, the ending to your game/book made sense or seemed poetic, but was it _reaaaally_ what you think it deserved? Maybe it needed to go out in a bang? Or a happy mushy ending?

The point is: Should my first finale be: *LOVE, *love, or *DETERMINATION

Will Frisk keep her DETERMINATION high enough to face her fears and Chara?

Will Chara possess Frisk and begin a reign of terror upon Earth?

Or will a new champion put an end to the cycle once and for all, no matter the consequences?

My little gods and goddesses, the choice is yours. You _**are**_ the ones watching behind the screen after all... ;)

P.S.

School and work are cutting my hobby time so, I'm sorry if there's a big delay. Thanks for reading this trashy, poorly written fanfic of mine if you've made it this far. It started with a simple idea: Frisk looks hispanic. I'm hispanic. Mix it together and make a novela dramatizing her stay in the underground. The first chapter was 3k words...yeah. Now its 12 chapters long, with 100K to its name. What have I done. x_x


	13. love: Redemption

A/N: Because it was going to be super confusing to post all three variations in one chapter, it's been broken to their own individual chapters.

Each variation comes with its own epilogue. There is no sequel planned for this ending, sorry.

Detailed authors note at the end!

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Chapter 13: *love: Redemption**

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November 2nd: All Soul's Day

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 _The boys and girls her age ran around the fiesta (party), all of them playing a game of tag and laughing as they chased each other. "Can't catch me!" one of them screamed, running past the little girl and her mother who took a step back. Looking up, the girl realized that her mother was in a deep conversation with another woman, and so, she took a few steps forward. "Es muy dificil…" (It's very hard…) the little girl whimpered to herself, clearing her throat as she tried to approach a girl her age, but she only glared at her and ran off. No one in this town liked her. They all thought she was weird, just because she didn't attend school with them. All because it had taken her some time to regain control of her arms and legs._

 _Suddenly, the little girl fell down as a bigger boy pushed her aside and ran off while being chased. Grunting, the girl shivered as her warm cheeks and neck felt the splash of water hit her. They ran unto a puddle and it splashed her way... Looking up, she noticed that several people had noticed she had fallen down, but everyone looked away and pretended to be busy when she looked at them. People could be so cruel sometimes, huh…?_

Frisk's body jolted as she woke up from her dream, her hands coming to her body as she calmed down. It was just… a memory. Just a memory, again. She looked beside her where Sans snored in a deep slumber. Ah… typical Dunkle Sans. She breathed in several times before her mother's voice rang in her mind.

 _"C-corre! Vive! Vive!"_

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk stopped for a minute, that voice echoing loudly inside her head. Run and live... Live and Run. That's what she had to do. She **had** to live. All she needed to do was stay alive, no matter what. Her mama gave up her life for her… so she was no longer living for one. She had to live for her too, for her mama.

She looked at the mirror, and stared at the image of a taller girl whose hair was still trying to even out after her mother's terrible cut. Her hands gently touched the tips of her hair, remembering long it had been before it had been cut. It used to reach her hips, and she was the envy of all her friends! Juan particularly would complement her on her long hair… and her papa would take her to spas so that her hair would be taken care of like a queen. _"Eres mi princessa, lo sabes?"_ (You're my princess, you know?) his voice echoed in the back of her head as she began to remember.

Her eyes looked down at her feet where she wore the ballerina shoes. She had grown into these old shoes, but now that she had begun to remember her old lifestyle, Frisk wondered if her feet could finally fit into tacones (high heels). Her papa had promised her high heels with rhinestones when she had come of age. New shoes… new clothes… her old lifestyle was calling to Frisk. She was so close to leaving the underground! Of course, she didn't want to leave behind all her friends and monsters she had come to love as family… but… what were the chances she'd leave the underground? And if she did, she doubted she could take her friends with her.

Taking one last glance at herself, Frisk's hands moved her bangs and stray hairs, her eyes noticing the beautiful flowers she had put in a vase last night. The golden flower was wilting, but that purple flower dunkle Sans had picked for her looked so lively. Smiling to herself, she took the wilting yellow flower and adorned her right ear with it, turning to the door. She was sure that Papyrus and Sans would appreciate having a lovely flower around.

Taking a big breath, she opened the door to her room and looked back at the sleeping skeleton. "...thanks dunkle Sans."

Closing the door behind her, Frisk walked downstairs and left the home she had been welcomed to. Today was the day… and even if she was scared, she knew she was older now. After remembering more of her past, Frisk felt prepared to defend her life with everything she had—she'd use her nails and teeth if she had to.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The morning air in Snowdin today seemed crisp and refreshing. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming with the change in light, and the monster that threw ice chunks into the river was hard at work. It reminded her so much of the surface… how… it never stops, even if you disappear.

"Even if someone is looking for me… they'll replace me if I don't come back. I have to reach the surface!" Frisk told herself, hastening her brisk walk. She approached the empty river bank, noticing that River Person was down the river still floating her way.

Waiting impatiently, Frisk scratched the back of her neck. She felt so uneasy, but she had to remain cool.

Last night, she remembered things… that weren't pretty. Remembered more about herself and who she used to be. More about people she met.

This morning… Frisk felt so home sick. She needed to go home. She needed the warmth of her real papa.

"Need a ride, la la?"

Frisk nodded, carefully walking unto the river boat and sitting down. She sat pensively with her head in her hand as she looked at the river. The robed figure in front of her stared at her as the river floated, finally speaking. "Tra la la? Is something wrong? You seem quiet, little one."

Frisk looked at RP, blushing as she looked down into the boat. To be honest, she was thinking about her aspirations as a child. She had always wanted to be a star, or she thought she did, after all, her Uncle Juju and brother encouraged her. The monsters in the underground seemed to enjoy her… "River Person… I was just thinking about what I wanted to do after I left the underground—you know, to motivate me! I think… I think I want to travel the world and dance like my mom. What do you want to do?"

River person looked at her, a few bright lights dimming down a bit. "What to do? I don't know? I like sailing on my boat. I'd sail the rivers, on this boat, only if it's clear and blue. Sail through red, tears and blood, or sail through murky darkened blue? Oh no, no, no! Only clear and blue!"

Frisk tilted her head. "…I don't understand, River Person." She stated, watching as River Person simply turned around. "Tra la la. I heard ASGORE has a favorite food."

Silently, Frisk returned to pondering on her old life for the rest of the boat ride.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile…

*********°*********•*********°*********

Toriel sighed, looking at the wall. Nothing today. Leaning back on it, she stretched her legs and yawned, scratching her forehead as she closed her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, someone was also with her—right in front to be precise. A tall figure, elegant as always and looking quite sharp but frustrated.

Gaster looked down at his hand where the burn still stared back at him. It had happened. Florencia had actually made him realize something that he wouldn't have realized on his own. She hadn't appeared ever since the fiasco, and he wouldn't blame her—he went too far.

Looking back at it… he did some highly inappropriate things with his hand.

Blushing and looking away, the ghost looked up at the wall he had spent days watching. "According to the data Vinnie gave me… this should be the location… It has to be. Out of all the coordinates she gave me, this is the last place. All the other coordinates did not have what I sought, this _HAS_ to work." He told himself, his appearance changing back into its ugly state of goop. His refined appearance had changed into black and white, and the face he was so proud of looked horrific. With a sigh, the ghoul slouched. The more frustrated and angry he became, the less stable his appearance would be, he figured out.

Lately, after his… moment… with Florencia, he had become more stable. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of things he had forgotten or that had motivated him prior to completely losing his mind to vengeance and science. _That_ , which had been clouded by his misjudgment!

His head snapped up, watching as a little monster kid passed Toriel by. "…don't wanna say goodbye!" Shouted the little kid to himself with saddened eyes and a sigh. Perking up, Toriel got up and her hand reached for the little monster kid. "Are you alright my child? Is something wrong?"

"FRISK IS LEAVING ME! I DON'T WANT HER TO LEAVE YET!" wailed the child as tears burst from its eyes, falling back unto its bottom and tail while Toriel quickly got on her knees and embraced him. "W-what? Frisk? A-are you sure? When is she leaving?" Toriel asked with a panicked voice.

Sniffling, the child shook his head. "She's leaving today, right now probably. She's going to face King Asgore and she's going to abandon me for Juandisimo…" MK answered truthfully but calming himself as he shook his head. "No! I should be strong! I'm cooler than Juandisimo! Yeah! She'll come back, I'm sure of it!"

Gaster watched as MK got up and began to waddle away, leaving behind a frightened Toriel. "…w-what should I do? Should I…? What am I saying, if she's going to face Asgore today, she's not going to pass through here! Don't worry my child!"

Running past MK, Toriel seemed to be in quite the hurry, but she then seemed to stop and look back to where she had been guarding. Gaster simply looked back, noticing that she seemed to be very troubled by her choices right now—which meant this place was of some sort of value. Did she know what he sought? Interesting. She knew something that he didn't.

Finally, that goat took off, leaving behind Gaster who turned back to the wall and stared at it.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back with Frisk…

*********°*********•*********°*********

 _"A human SOUL isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. It takes at least a human SOUL... And a monster soul."_

Frisk gulped, shaking her head. "I won't kill, but… but I won't die either!" Taking a deep breath, she carried on but stopped when she noticed something quite familiar—though to be honest, everything was familiar.

A pile of gray leaves.

"…this is where I lived with Toriel… HOME." She whispered, her heart racing as the thought of seeing something familiar filled her with DETERMINATION. Her hand reached out to the SAVE star, a surge of warmth filling her for a moment before dissipating.

This was the same exact home… it had to be. Without taking a look around, Frisk walked to the stairs, knowing they usually lead to another place.

"Howdy! I'm in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come. The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway." –A note.

"Oh… I have to get the keys then…" Frisk whispered to herself, finally realizing that she could hear several monsters in the home. Taking a deep breath, she went to the kitchen first. She glanced around and of course, it all looked the same. No matter. She had to get the keys and then carry on with her mission!

Just as she was making her way across the living room and into the kitchen, two froggits pulled her SOUL out.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS." spoke one of the frogs. "Injured by its fall, the human called out for help." added the other frog, both of them staring at her with a bittersweet expression. Soon, her SOUL went back inside of her and the two monsters walked away.

Confused by the suddenness of it, Frisk scrambled to her feet and ran into the kitchen. Her eyes looked around and found the big ol' key, grasping it and quickly turning around. She had to get out of here! Why were monsters fighting her? Didn't she make friends with it…? Where they trying to taunt her?

Dashing out of the kitchen, she came to a halt when two monsters stood in her way again. "N-no!" She gasped, watching as her SOUL popped out of her chest—but the monsters appeared to look scared too. Hmmmm? If they were scared, why were they attacking her?

"ASRIEL, the king's son, heard the human's call." "He brought the human back to the castle."

The battle was over, and the two monsters had fled. Frisk gripped the key against her chest, her eyes looking around for any signs of other monsters hiding around, but it was completely silent. Letting out a shaken sigh, Frisk went to look for the second key.

More monsters, but now that Frisk was paying attention to what they spoke of… it felt like… like the monsters were trying to tell her something important with this story.

"Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings." "The king and queen treated the human child as their own." "The underground was full of hope."

Frisk watched as they all fled. What was their motive, she wondered? Walking ahead, she came across the second key. Once it was in her grasp, she noticed a mirror up ahead and decided to pay a little visit to it. The golden flower had fallen several times while she had been running, so she wanted to make sure it was looking pretty on her hair.

Her reflection looked back at her with that dying golden flower on her ear, but even though it was dying… Frisk felt it looked all the prettier. It looked a more golden color than all the lively counterparts. "It'd look better on Chara… Oh! I was supposed to meet up with her." Gasping, Frisk ran back to the lock. The rest of her journey was riddled with monsters who continued the sad story.

"Then... One day..." "The human became very ill."

"The sick human had only one request." "To see the flowers from their village." "But there was nothing we could do."

"The next day." "The next day." "..." "The human died."

"ASRIEL, wracked in grief, absorbed the human's SOUL." "He transformed into a being with incredible power."

"With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier." "He carried the human's body into the sunset." "Back into the village of the humans."

"Asriel reached the center of the village." "There, he found a bed of golden flowers." "He carried the human unto it."

"Suddenly, screams rang out." "The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body." "They thought that he had killed the child."

"The humans attacked him with everything they had." "He was struck with blow after blow." ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."

"But..." "ASRIEL did not fight back." "Clutching the human..." "ASRIEL smiled and walked away."

"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home." "He entered the castle and collapsed." "His dust spread across the garden. "

"The kingdom fell into despair." "The king and queen had lost two children in one night." "The humans had once again taken everything from us."

"The king decided it was time to end our suffering." "Every human who falls down here must die." "With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

"It's not long now." "King ASGORE will let us go. "King ASGORE will give us hope." "King ASGORE will save us all."

"You should be smiling too." "Aren't you excited?" "Aren't you happy?"

By now, Frisk had begun to run once more. All these monsters had hopes of seeing the surface—but to do so, would mean her death! Didn't they realize that!? Weren't they concerned about her wellbeing after she spared them all!?

Frisk screamed in fear as one last monster surprised her, their words haunting her once clear mind: "You're going to be free."

"NO!" She screamed, pushing the monster aside as she ran for her life without looking back until she knew she was far away. "I will NOT die! I will LIVE! I WILL LIVE!" Screamed Frisk as her hands grasped her head as pain hammered away.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc

Start

*********°*********•*********°*********

This was absolutely juicy. Frisk was scared out of her mind already, my, just look at those brown eyes! Chara grinned as she materialized her body, but was surprised when Frisk reached out to her and embraced her. "Chara! Chara, please help me! I'm so scared… I'm so scared…" her muffled voice cried as she buried her face into her bosom. "…F-frisk?" Chara stuttered, her arms instinctively wrapping around the child. She had not expected this reaction—you would think Frisk would wonder how in the heck she materialized her body in the first place! Ghosts weren't able to materialize in the real world… but this child was truly scared, wasn't she?

She didn't even have to trigger the child, it seems.

Chara looked down with a blank expression, watching as the child fell down unto her knees with her hands pulling on her own hair. "S-stop it! Make the hurt stop! STOP IT PAPA!"

Taking a step back, Chara watched as Frisk began to have another meltdown. Well… this certainly made things easier, although… Chara wasn't enjoying it as much as she thought she would. She was cringing. "Frisk, he won't make anything stop. YOU have to make things stop, YOU have to stop everyone that hurts you, don't you understand?" Chara tried to rationalize, hoping that perhaps this was going to be easier than she thought it would be—no extra effort needed. If she could swing Frisk in her favor…

Frisk looked up, her brown eyes staring into her red. "…make… them… stop…? I…" She paused, her head pounding as a flashback came back into her mind. A man beating up her brother. A gun in her hands, pulling the trigger. The grown man falling down in front of her, dead.

"…I killed him… I… I killed him…"

Chara could feel herself cringe once more as she noticed those small hands pulling on her hair until a few locks had been ripped from her head, but her expression looked absolutely horrified instead of in pain. "Y-yeah, you did, but you made him stop, right? He was a bad man, and he stopped hurting you and your brother, right?" asked Chara, watching as the child's eyes finally moved slowly up until they met hers. "…it hurts…" she whispered before her body fell down limp.

Chara stared at the body for a moment before realizing this was her opportunity. The chance she needed just… landed on her lap. But… it felt wrong. "Stop Chara, feelings are irrelevant, remember?" she told herself as she closed her eyes and turned into a black mist that entered Frisk through her gentle breaths.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc: Frisk and Florence

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk opened her eyes, her lips forming an 'o' and screaming at the top of her lungs as blood splattered unto her face. It was him again. "Fernando!" She screamed, but she could only back away from everything. Fear was pumping through her veins, watching as teeth were thrown out of her brother's jaws, and his struggling arms came to a stop.

"Frisk, fight back!"

Snapping her head to the side, Frisk could see Chara floating with a worried expression. "C-chara?" she whimpered, but the sound of bone cracking brought her attention back to what was happening.

A towering man looked over her with intense eyes, and his hands were covered in blood. "Quien te va a defender ahora?" (Who is going to defend you now?) he smirked as other men approached from behind, a few carrying bats and crowbars while most carried handguns.

"…I'm…" whimpered Frisk, her eyes scanning around and finding the gun and phone on the ground. Quickly, her hands reached for the gun and she held it up against the man who had just beaten her brother. "S-stay back! I-I-I don't want t-t-t-to hurt y-y-you!" Frisk shouted, her legs pushing her back as she tried to get away, but if she got up, then… then they would all gang up on her.

"Fight back, Frisk!" Shouted Chara from the sidelines, but Frisk could only shake her head. Her left hand quickly reached for the phone that had been only a few inches away from the gun. "Fernando! ESTAN BIEN!?"(Fernando! Are you alright!?) shouted Uncle Juju's voice from the phone.

Chara frowned. "H-Help me!" Cried Frisk, but the man in the white fancy suit only seemed agitated. Instead of picking up Fernando as originally done in real life, the man kicked her brother aside repeatedly before pulling out his gun and pointing it at the child. "Drop the gun and throw the phone, or I'll shoot your brain out, kid."

Frisk turned pale, her hand with the phone throwing it aside.

"Frisk, don't do it! SHOOT HIM!" Chara implored, but the child only did the opposite.

The little girl's body trembled as she hid her face with her hands. "P-please, don't hurt me…" she cried out, but instead a rough hand clenched her by the throat as it squeezed the life out of her.

"DON'T HURT HER! YOU GOD DAMNED _ **PIG**_!" Chara screamed, her body beginning to glitch as she ran to Frisk's aid, but it was no use. She couldn't interfere as the man grinned and continued to squeeze until Frisk had stopped struggling.

Seething in anger, Chara began to hyperventilate, watching as his other slimy hand touched her shoulder, slowly trailing down her chest.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Her voice boomed, her throat constricting as memories flooded back. She closed her eyes, and everything had gone black.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc: Chara Takishka

*********°*********•*********°*********

Chara opened her eyes, but quickly she found herself underneath the man she hated the most, and his hands were wrapped around her throat as he suffocated her into submission **. "No… No… NO! NEVER AGAIN! YOU PIG!"** Her mind screamed as her red face slowly began to turn purple. Her strength was leaving her and her head felt light, but she was NOT going to give up her struggle! Not TODAY!

Her hand could feel a sharp edge underneath her blouse and pants—That's right! The blade she asked Tara to get her! Without thinking twice about it, her hand dug underneath her blouse and she grabbed the blade, feeling its sharp edge cut into her hand by how hard she had grasped it, but she didn't care. The adrenaline rush was all that she had at the moment! She watched as the pig jumped off while looking quite scared.

"YOU CUT ME!" He shouted at her, his hand applying pressure to his abdomen where she had managed to dig the knife while in her situation. She coughed as her free hand caressed her throat, her eyes keeping an eye on him, watching as he ran out of the barn, leaving only a trail of red dots. "You… idiot… never again…" Chara said to herself as her eyes watered up, her hand letting go of the knife as she brought her knees up so that she could hug her abused body. "…never again…" She shuddered as she tried to stabilize her breaths, crying softly to herself as the cows in the barn stared at her and occasionally mooed.

"CHARA!" Shouted Tara as she ran inside the barn, several adults following her inside along with the offender. Chara quickly held unto Tara, her red eyes glaring at Mr. Yakinoba who pointed at her with an exposed torso that revealed white bandages that had been wrapped around the area she had stabbed. "She went CRAZY! She stabbed me, I had to choke her until she let go!" He shouted, another girl standing beside him and carrying a doll as she stared into the corner where Chara was.

"Chara, calm down! What happened?" asked Tara who let go, her eyes inspecting the bruises around her little sister's neck. "H-he tried to do it again! H-he grabbed me and forced me into the barn! I fought back but—" Chara began to explain, but quickly a little girl shouted. "STOP LYING CHARA! STOP IT!"

"I'M NOT LYING!" Exclaimed Chara, pushing Tara aside as she walked to the middle of the barn where the girl had also walked to with her doll in her hand. " _Yuki, I'm not lying! Your dad really did-" Chara began to say, but her best friend who opposed her seemed to flare up in anger, her hand dropping her beloved doll unto the dirty barn floor and slapping Chara into silence. "Stop lying, Chara!"_

 _Chara glanced at Yuki, her eyes watering up again as the girl looked at her with hatred in her eyes. "Don't talk to me EVER again, you lying… lying whore!"_

 _As the girl picked up her doll and walked back to her father who awaited with open arms, Chara could see her father looking at her with dissatisfaction._ _ **"…lying whore…? Is that the best you can come up with? After years of friendship? You're just going to listen to your mom, just like that**_ _!?" Chara thought to herself as her hands turned to fists. "…I hate you… I HATE ALL OF YOU!"_

 _Her eyes watched as Tara's body quickly blocked her way and in the process, blocked their father's hand. Chara didn't even noticed her father had moved. She heard the slap of his hand on Tara's skin—it was much harder and powerful than Yuki's slap, and_ _that_ _had stung a lot… a lot._

 _"You idiot… go back to our room." Tara's voice spoke to Chara, her body still blocking their father who could only peer down at the child from his height. Behind Tara, Chara could see the coldness in her father's eyes, and without a single protest, she did was she was told._

 _As she left the barn, she could see Yuki in the distance with her pig father, her eyes glaring at her._

 _Still… it felt great to cut the bastard, even if she was going to get a lashing for it. It was worth it._

 _Chara approached her home, but instead she walked behind it where her dog, Fufu would usually wait for her. She needed his love badly after what happened._

 _"…Fufu…?" Chara whispered, running to the dog whose leg convulsed as it whined in pain. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no…" Chara hyperventilated, her hands hovering above the dog who was covered in blood and whose bones could be seen. She looked at the neck where a rope had been tired around it, probably used to hold it down while it suffered. "Who did this to you…? Who!" Chara demanded as she tried to hold the dog but it only whined harder with its dislocated jaw. "Please… please don't leave me…" Chara cried, her hands gently touching the matted hairs of the dog, but even the gentlest of touches caused the dog pain. Blood was pooling underneath the dog, and Chara knew that this was irreversible. Fufu was dying and in severe pain. "…Fufu…" she cried, her hands gripping her hair was she tried to think of an alternative, but she could think of none._

 _"Kill him." Tara's voice said behind her._

 _Chara flinched, shaking her head. Tara had probably caught up to her. "N-no! Tara, I love him!" Chara replied as she turned, noticing the stoic expression on her sister. "Love him? And what has that gotten you? Nothing but grief. Look, the dog is going to die regardless. Do you want him to suffer, or to be at peace?"_

 _Chara looked back at Fufu, the scruffy dog who would always lick her and rest in her lap when she wanted to hold him. He didn't deserve this. "…no, I don't want him to suffer… you do it, T-tara. I-I can't." sobbed Chara as she hid her eyes underneath her hands._

 _Chara heard Tara's footsteps, and then Fufu's whine and the crunch of bones. Chara uncovered her eyes and she quickly reached for the dog that lay dead with its head snapped. It was over for him. It was over for him. Why wasn't it over for her? "Fufu…" sobbed Chara was she grasped his body against hers._

 _"He's dead, Chara. Look, I'll let you grieve the dog, but you need to be back in our room in an hour. Father is quite mad." Tara's voice spoke, but it sounded so far away from Chara as she rocked with Fufu, hoping he's spring back to life and lick her tears away like he would always do._

 _"Fufu… I need you so much right now… who's going to protect me from that bastard in the morning now?" Chara asked, feeling more vulnerable than ever. Who was going to snarl at Mr. Yakinoba now? Perhaps, it was the other way around. Perhaps it was she who failed to protect Fufu._

 _She opened her eyes and noticed a ghostly girl watching her with tears in her eyes. "…Frisk…? T-this is a memory… This is just a memory…" Chara whispered to herself, slowly letting go of Fufu's dead body, her red eyes watching as the girl who had never met her dog seemed to be crying for it. She was saying something. Focusing on Frisk, Chara could finally hear her._

 _"I'm so sorry, Chara. I wanted to help… I'm so sorry…"_

 _Wanted to help? Oh… that's right. Frisk was watching the whole time, much like she had been watching her._

 _Chara looked down at Fufu, closing her eyes as everything went dark once more._

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgment Hall Arc: All the things that I've done

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk opened her eyes, her hands down on the ground as she pushed off and got up. A few feet away, Sans stopped in his tracks and looked ahead. "…kid?" he asked aloud and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Frisk's eyes were still brown.

"…Chara?" she called out, her head looking around. Sans quickly shook his head, but before he could protest, the she-demon appeared beside him with a serious look. "You saw too much of my life, Frisk." Chara replied, crossing her arms. Sans' left eye turned blue, but stopped when he saw Frisk approach them both with worried eyes.

"It's okay, Chara! You saw my life too! I… I understand you a bit more, now. I don't want to hurt anyone, but… but I've realized that people will hurt me anyways." Frisk's voice sounded sad, her saddened eyes looking down as her right hand grasped her left arm.

Sans looked up and shook his head. "no frisk, don't listen to her. she wants to kill everyone!"

"I know." Frisk replied, noticing that Sans' eye sockets had grown wider. "I know Sans. I know her reasons why, or a few of them. Still… I don't want to hurt anyone, Chara." Frisk replied, noticing that Chara looked back at her with a slightly hurt expression. "Frisk, you have to understand!"

"I understand! I understand, Chara… I… killed someone. Killing people would make things so much easier, but then, you start to lose yourself, Chara. You start to not care about them, about who they are, and their loved ones. It's easy to kill someone, but… but keeping yourself safe while sparing people? It's hard, but… but it's something I'm willing to do, if you want to help me? Maybe you're a ghost, but… but if I leave the underground, maybe… maybe you could live through me? Live the life you never could?" Frisk asked, noticing that Chara had stared at her with her mouth agape.

"…you'd do that for me?" she asked, noticing that Sans had begun to take a defensive stance.

Opening her arms, Frisk nodded.

"That's a mistake, Frisk!" Sans shouted with a husky voice, his left eye glowing blue and his battle music sounding off as he threw bones at Chara's spirit which had turned into a black mist, which seemed a few shades lighter.

Frisk took a breath, watching as the mist went inside of her. She felt… the same. Across from her, Sans looked at her, but saw that her eyes were still brown. Nothing changed… yet.

"Sans! I-I don't want to fight…" Frisk asked, her head hurting as flashbacks of her fighting her dunkle flashed before her eyes. **"Frisk… are you not going to fight him? What if…?"** Chara asked her inside her mind, but Frisk shook her head while her heart pounded. "No… I… I trust dunkle Sans. He won't hurt me… right?" asked Frisk, her voice fragile as she watched Sans lower his arm, his blue eye flickering before returning to normal. "Frisk…" he breathed out, but the girl walked towards him with fear in her eyes. "I don't want to fight, Sans… b-but if you insist… I-I'm going to defend myself until I can safely run away." Frisk stated, noticing that he looked defeated.

"You're actually going to harbor that demon…?" he asked, but Frisk only nodded with DETERMINATION.

Before Sans could protest some more, the kid went back to her previous SAVE.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Judgement Hall was silent for a good while. He had poked his head around, but saw that the child had left the hall. Did Chara go on a rampage? He dared not look outside. Instead he waited, knowing that she would eventually have to come back here. Minutes passed, the unnerving silence of it all causing Sans to pace the hall with his thoughts on what he should do.

Next thing Sans knew, the child had walked up to him with her brown eyes that had a glint of red in them, her nervous fingers holding a knife close to her heart. "I don't want to hurt you, S-s-sans… let me through." Frisk asked of him, her fear of him genuine.

Did she remember that the two had fought in the past…? "let me explain—" Sans gulped, raising his hand in hopes he could explain himself but instead the child recoiled with the knife closer to her heart. "J-ju-just let me go, Sans!"

Taking a step back, Sans finally realized that all his actions had finally accumulated to this outcome. Frisk was afraid of him. All her trust and love for him… vanished. All the things he had done until now had revolved around him being mysterious with the child, spending time after time at his lab while the child wondered what he was doing. With her memories back… he wouldn't blame her if she thought he might hurt her in the end. Why should she trust him, after all? He wouldn't trust a shady person himself, honestly.

Thinking about it… he pulled a Gaster on her, didn't he? Keeping secrets, being shady, then losing control of himself…

Letting out a sigh, Sans kept his stoic grin. "The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you'll meet the king. Together... You will determine the future of this world."

Sans analyzed Frisk for a brief second, noticing that although she held the knife close to her, she had no dust on her. Her LV was still 1, and no EXP had been gained while he waited. Frisk was still innocent… just carrying a demonic being who wanted to kill everyone.

Just as Sans was about to praise Frisk for her journey, the little girl's body trembled and she shook her head. "Just let me pass, Sans. I don't want to listen to anything else you have to say."

Frisk watched as Sans flinched, but nodded his head, taking a step back into the shadows before completely disappearing.

"… **that's one way to tell him off…"** Chara spoke inside her head, feeling a bit bad about the skeleton. Sure, Chara enjoyed watching him suffer but… "I can't trust him, Chara. What if he attacks me when I don't expect it again?" Frisk spoke aloud, her panicked eyes looking around the hall before continuing onwards.

Although Chara's plan was still in motion, she couldn't help but to see the mirror image of herself in Frisk. Frisk had finally realized the danger she was in, and had begun to get paranoid. It wasn't much until Frisk snapped, just like her.

Oddly enough…

Chara didn't want that.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Mountain Boss Arc

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Throne Room.

" **It's in there, Frisk. That's where King Asgore is at."** Chara spoke, her spirit beside the child who did as she was told. She wasn't exploring the underground like she used to anymore. She wasn't curious about the stairs up ahead.

"We're going to get to the surface, Chara. I'm not going to die here! My mama died so I could live." Frisk stated as she stared at the sign which said 'The Throne Room'. Beside her, Chara seemed to cringe as a memory of her past came back.

" _I will not die their victim! Tara died so I could live… And I WILL live! I will live! I have to live!" Chara told herself as she crawled on the sharp rocks beside the flowing river. After taking a good sip of water, she felt her strength returning momentarily. She had to live._

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Mountain Boss Arc: The Gentle Giant

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk entered the room with DETERMINATION to demand her release, but when she smelled the wave of golden flowers, and saw all of them in bloom her heart had begun to calm down. She felt her mind become serene all of a sudden… **"…Chara?"** Frisk asked herself inside her mind, wondering if it was the spirit's influence that caused her to calm down.

" **It smells so good…"** Chara's voice responded, a wave of tranquility overcoming Frisk whose grip on the knife had begun to loosen. Not wanting to drop it, Frisk placed it inside her bag. **"Calm down Frisk. We shouldn't be so quick about this… we should be clear of mind so we can make quick decisions."** Chara added, her red eyes staring at the large figure in front of them.

"Dum de dum..." a strong and deep voice hummed. "Oh? Is someone there?"

Frisk stared, realizing that the figure was watering the plants. Oh… that was… actually nice. **"…yeah. I guess it is… It's nice to see the seeds we brought back bloom."** Chara spoke in a gentle voice. "Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers! ...Here we are!"

Frisk squinted as she focused on King Asgore, his white fur reminding her of Toriel's. Another goat, it seemed. Long horns were attached to his head as it swung, locks of golden hair flowing through the sudden breeze, his large eyes keeping to his eye level as he turned. "Howdy! How can I..." He began to say as his eyes lowered down to Frisk's level.

Absolute horror was etched in his eyes; Frisk could see that much. He staggered back while his mouth was left agape, and the small human who was once scared to face him now stood baffled. _He was scared of her_?

"Oh." was all that he uttered, and soon the silence that had been the throne room erupted with music that Frisk supposed was his. It sounded grand like a king should be, but... it also sounded... sad.

King Asgore turned to his side, trying to quickly think of what to do with the innocent child before him. She had killed no one. She had made many friends among his people. If she had only killed at least one monster... then maybe it'd be so much easier... and yet...

He turned to her once more, smiling nervously as he tried to compose himself. " **Think, Asgore! THINK! Come on, she's just staring at you!** " his inner self shouted, trying desperately to act or at least speak as the rightful king should.

"... I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea'" he chuckled softly when no other thought came to mind, his eyes looking down at the child who stared at him with a broken smile. She knew, and he knew what was to become of this fateful meeting, and yet she continued to try to smile... he must do the same! "But... you know how it is." he stated, turning and walking to the right of him as his brain began to process what was to be done now.

His eyes looked out of the stained windows, trying to calm himself as he turned and looked at the child whose eyes for some reason reminded him of Chara. "Nice day today, huh?" he asked, trying desperately to smile. "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming... Perfect weather for a game of catch." sighed Asgore as his heavy heart bled for a moment. Asriel. He turned and looked away as to spare the human the agony in his eyes as he took a deep breath to compose himself.

He turned and looked at her, noticing how strongly her determined eyes seemed to be. She wanted to go home. "...You know what we must do. When you are ready, come into the next room."

As he walked away, the human child followed him with a steady space, although slow. Coming into the next room, Asgore glanced back and realized the fear in her eyes. She was beyond scared, he could see that much. "How tense... Just think of it like... A visit to the dentist."

The two walked towards an arch door with roman pillars, until the tall goat came to a halt. Frisk looked down and noticed another SAVE star. This was it.

"Are you ready? If you are not, I understand. I am not ready either."

Frisk's eyes widened, staring at him as he went inside the next room with dull eyes and flat lips. He looked so miserable... he didn't want to do this.

" **He doesn't want to fight you, huh?"** asked Chara who watched with her heart feeling… feelings again. Frisk saved and had begun to take steps forward when Chara stopped her. **"No… wait. There's something I have to do before we face him."**

*********°*********•*********°*********

Unfinished Business Arc

Start

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Oh?" Flowey asked, watching as Frisk walked back with confused eyes. "I don't understand Chara… what is it that you need to do?" she asked aloud, her eyes noticing the spirit take a misty form. "I have a friend that can help you on the surface. I know you don't like violence… but she will help us a lot. Trust me." Chara replied, her hand trembling as the word 'trust' rolled off her tongue.

"Oh… okay. Okay I guess. Let's just hurry, OK?" Frisk asked as she continued to walk, leaving behind the mist that seemed to be in deep thought **. "Vinnie will destroy everyone I can't kill. With her help, I'll have what I always wanted…"** Chara told herself, her hand trembling as it turned into a fist. She couldn't hurt Frisk. She didn't want to _kill_ Sans. She wanted to hurt Asgore but… but that goat made it difficult.

That A.I. had no feelings for anyone. All she wanted was the absolute destruction of all life forms, and that was what Chara wanted too, right?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk looked around her every so often, making sure that no monster would come out of where to attack her. Just as she was about to exit into MTT resort, her phone began to vibrate and a familiar tone rang out.

 _Ring._

She answered the phone without hesitation. "Yes?" Frisk asked, bring the phone away as a familiar shout boomed from the phone. "Hey! Uh, this is Undyne... _Shut up Papyrus, this was YOUR idea_! HUMAN! You have to deliver something for me! Uh, please? I'm at Snowdin in front of Papyrus' See ya, punk!"

Click.

"Are you going?" asked Chara. "…I… don't know. I trust Undyne and Papyrus—at least Undyne wanted to kill me outright before she changed her mind. She's not the type to stab me in the back."

Chara cringed for a moment. Frisk was beginning to sound a lot like her. "Go to her, Frisk. We have to go to Snowdin either way."

With a simple nod, Frisk made her way to the river bank at a brisk pace.

Once more, River Person's boat seemed to be floating down the river bank. Frisk seemed to arrive at the river bank while River Person was still a while away today… how odd. Sitting down on the ground, Frisk looked to her side where Chara also sat and looked into the water. "…the water is so calm compared to the river I grew up around."

Frisk tilted her head. "Chara… the story that the monsters kept telling me today… was that…?" Frisk asked, noticing that the ghost seemed to look away. "Yeah, Frisk. That was me and my adoptive sibling, Asriel. I was adopted by King Asgore and his wife, Toriel after I ran away from home. My older sister, Tara, died while fighting with my dad over the bad things I did. I did a lot of bad things to bad people, but they _deserved_ it! I had nothing and I was dying… and then I fell down here. The Dreemurrs took me in, and I lived here. I was really happy for a while, just like you and those skele-brothers."

Frisk fidgeted, but she came out with her question. "What changed? I don't understand why you want to fight the world…"

Fight the world, huh? That was exactly what Chara wanted. "…I wanted to exterminate all the humans in my village at first. You saw them, Frisk. No one in that village had an ounce of compassion in them. It just so happened that my SOUL could be absorbed by a monster who could go up there and do that. Then take all those SOULs and release all the monsters. Put the _real_ monsters to good use, you know? But there was only one little monster I trusted with my life and SOUL. …Asriel."

Frisk noticed that River Person was getting nearer, but the two of them still had a bit of time to continue the conversation. Frisk was sure that Chara probably wouldn't talk about it later.

Chara sighed as her head fell down in between her arms that rested on her knees. "I ate a poisonous plant and got really sick. Asriel was panicking and having second thoughts about my plan, but I reassured him… Then I died. Everyone _seemed_ sad. Then my plan went into action, and Asriel absorbed me. He took my body to the surface like I requested, and I saw a field of golden flowers, just like I wanted. It was beautiful at first… so calm, with the wind and the smell… but then _they_ came. The villagers. Everyone started attacking us, and Asriel… Asriel wouldn't fight back. No matter how much I told him to kill them, that their SOULs would free everyone—that they didn't deserve to live—he wouldn't do it. Instead he took my body back into the ground, and we argued in the throne room. We had received a lot of damage, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Asriel and I were fighting and our SOULs… well… well, the more we fought and disagreed, the more his body became unstable. We needed to stabilize the body, but we were so busy arguing that his body was beginning to turn to ash. It was still held together by my SOUL though. Then… Then Dr. Gaster came in. He figured Asriel was probably dying and had no way of staying alive so he… he took my SOUL by force, thereby killing Asriel. He died. That's when all of the monsters got really upset, including Asgore and Toriel. Asgore vowed revenge against all of humanity and that everyone that fell down would be killed for their SOUL. It didn't take long for everyone to forget all about me and Asriel. Me? No one even remembered my name. Everyone wanted to kill the humans so they could get their freedom… just as selfish as the humans above ground."

Frisk looked up, noticing that River Person was now very near. Chara took noticed and got up as well, disappearing before Frisk could say another word. Silently, Frisk entered River Person's boat and sat down, her eyes reflecting on what Chara had told her. While the little girl looked out into the waters, RP's hoodie was lowered as many voices deep inside its void began to ring out softly. **"A path is being made." "A new path is forged..." "This is… looks alright." "I see clear waters, for now. The future looks a little muddy." "Well, let's see here… DETERMINATION is HIGH, good, good. Probability for a new outcome is 99.98%. The probability that the outcome is good, however, is 71.381%..." "Sans… you're almost there. Don't give up!"**

The rest of the trip was short and quick. The child had walked off with her head deep in thoughts and all that River Person could do was watch them as they had done so in countless timelines. Not a single monster soul was reaped, at least. Yet... Yet even with the new paths, there was still a possibility. That slim chance that it would reap someone's SOUL. "Who, la la, la la?" Asked River Person, and nothing more.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Um, so, I have a favor to ask you. Uuuuh, I... I need you to deliver this letter. To Dr. Alphys."

Frisk stared at her, tilting her head. "Oh... okay, I guess. Too lazy?"

"Huh!? Why don't I do it myself... ? ...Um. W-well... I-it's kind of personal, but we're friends... so... I'll t-tell you."

Undyne straightened out her expression, knowing that she undoubtedly looked shy as she stammered, but just when she had decided to tell Frisk the truth, she noticed that Papyrus had leaned in with his usual wide eye sockets and grin. Oh brother. Breathing in, Undyne thought of another truth.

"Hotland SUUUUCKS! I don't wanna have to go over there. So here you go."

Frisk looked down at the letter. Huh. Okay.

"Oh and if you read it... I'll KILL you. Thanks so much! You're the best!"

Taking a deep breath, Frisk took a step forward but was stopped by Chara's voice. **"Go behind the house. Vinnie is there."**

At first, Frisk didn't understand, but she did was she was told. It looked like a normal back-of-the-house to her. "There, that shiny bit! That's a door. Get close to it."

Frisk looked at the shiny piece of wood and realized it was all metal. Carefully painted metal, down to the very shadows that made it appear so realistic. So... cool. She noticed a small slot that was covered by a movable lid that seemed to be the size of the key. "It's locked…" Frisk said, noticing that Chara's mist formed an orb. "No problem. I know how he builds his mechanisms." Chara said before disappearing into the wall.

"…he?" asked Frisk, standing outside the door and waiting a good minute before the metal slid open. "Ta-daa~ Pretty awesome, right?" Chara smiled, welcoming Frisk inside. Once the child was inside, Chara disappeared into a large rectangle thing that had a cover on it. Before Frisk could ask Chara about her friend, the rectangle began to shake violently before toppling down and revealing an opening.

"Ugh. That's as much as I can move it. Think you can fit through there?" Chara asked, noticing that Frisk looked at her with awe. "Y-yeah, I think so…"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk could not believe it. There was a huge laboratory right underneath the house she lived in. Was this a secret that Sans hid from her? She _really_ couldn't trust him.

"Hey Frisk, right here. Uncover her!" Chara spoke with an excited voice, watching as the child did as she was told.

"Initiate Binary Sequence!" Chara shouted, noticing that the light had lit up. Hands free power on, heh. She turned to Frisk who took steps back, watching as a light began to form a figure of a lady. " **Initiating hologram sequence. BINARY status report: ONLINE. Welcome C-H-A-R-A.** "

Her white eyes fluttered open and a smirk formed on her lips. "Chara… you finally decided to wake me up. What a pleasant surprise."

Frisk looked at Chara whose fist trembled. "I-I need your help, Vinnie. We're going to face Asgore, and there's going to be resistance." Chara spoke, her red eyes watching as Vinnie's hologram reached out for Frisk, her white eyes analyzing her fear.

"Indeed, I see a lot of resistance from a lot of people. Worry not, my sweet, innocent maiden. I, Vinnie, will secure your freedom. With my help, no other will harm you, that I assure you. All that you need to say, is 'Initiate Binary Synthetic SOUL Chamber Transfer Protocol."

Chara looked at Frisk who looked unsure. Her brown eyes looked back at her, and she finally nodded. "Okay. Ini-ini… ini…?" Frisk muttered, looking at Chara let out a sigh. "Let me do it, Frisk. Initiate Binary Synthetic SOUL Chamber Transfer Protocol."

The hologram disappeared. The metal box seemed to be doing a lot of weird noises that sounded like dial-up tones—where she heard those sounds before baffled her.

Finally, the box went silent and the box began to turn into tiny metal pieces put together. They began to move…? And they moved up and to the sides, creating a metal figure of a person. "Woah…" Frisk exhaled, taking a few steps back.

"This is her android appearance…?" Chara asked, watching as the metal shape did not move with its arms stretched out. Instead, a white liquid, or something, seemed to be secreting from the head, running down the body and solidifying into what looked like really pale white skin. The hollow parts where eyes would go began to secret a liquid too, forming her eyes which had blue pupils. Vinnie was looking more and more like a ghoul. Chara watched as hair began to grow from its head, growing long and white—something that displayed Vinnie's vanity, Chara was sure. Vinnie was programmed with a personality, after all.

"Um…" Frisk whimpered, looking at the figure in front of her. Her eyes darted to the corner where she saw a lab coat, and she went for it, bringing it back to the figure who began to move slowly, flexing her fingers and toes. "Y-You should wear this…" Frisk offered with a blush, looking away as Vinnie took the coat with a smirk. "Of course I should. Now, be a good maiden and be on your way. I must charge my internal battery before I am able to operate. I foresee you will go into the L9 lab. I will meet you in front of Chara's SOUL."

Before Frisk could ask Vinnie any questions, Chara caught Frisk's attention. Vinnie hated questions. "Hey Frisk, let's go do that thing for Undyne, okay?"

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Tra la la. Humans, monsters... Flowers."

Frisk looked down, her hand grabbing the yellow flower on her ear. "W-wait, take me to Waterfalls, please?" asked Frisk, noticing that River Person had nodded, slowing down the boat. **"Waterfalls? What did you forget there?"** asked Chara, watching as Frisk fiddled with her thumbs. "I want some Sea Tea… I really like it. Once we get to the surface, I won't come across it again." Frisk whispered to herself.

Once the boat ride was over, Frisk turned to River Person. "Wait, I'm going to Hotland after this. Can you wait for me a minute?" she asked, watching as the figure nodded and sat down.

Running to her destination, Frisk slowed down when she came across Gerson's Shop. Before the old turtle could ask her what was wrong, Frisk had quickly spoken. "4 Sea Teas, please. That's all. Here's the money… I'm in a bit of a hurry."

Gerson looked at the child, noticing a red glint in her brown eyes. Boy, did it remind him of that speedy pupil of his. She was always in a hurry, never taking her time or caring much for building a defense. He noticed a knife in her bag as she put away the sea tea, but her eyes looked like they wouldn't hurt anyone. A knife for self-defense, he figured. Smart girl.

But that wouldn't get her far with that innocence of hers.

What a pity.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk arrived in Hotland and immediately saved. Her head swung around, looking for any monsters that may jump at her, but it was silent. No one was around.

Frisk took out the letter and slipped it underneath the door. That was it. **"Wait… we need to get into the labs."** Chara told her. **"Huh? But its locked."** Frisk spoke back in her mind.

"O-oh n-no, is that another letter...? I don't want to open it... C-can't I just slide it back out...? N... no... I can't keep doing this. I'll read this one."

Frisk waited outside the door with her arms crossed, hoping that Dr. Alphys could come outside.

"Um... I-it's shut k-kind of strongly, isn't it? Wait a second..."

After a while, Frisk saw the door open, and Dr. Alphys came out with sad eyes that looked down to the ground. "Hey, if this is a joke, it's… Oh my god." Dr. Alphys smiled nervously, staring at the child who looked blankly at her. "Did YOU write this letter? It wasn't signed, so I had no idea who could have... Oh my god. Oh no. That's adorable..." Dr. Alphys cooed with a blush, which in turn made Frisk blush just a little bit.

"And I h-had no idea you, um, wrote that way! It's surprising too... After all the gross stuff I did... I don't really deserve to be forgiven. Much less... um... This? And so passionately too."

Huh...? What in the world did Undyne write...?

"You know what, okay! I'll do it! It's the least I can do to make it up to you! Y-yeah! Let's go on a date!"

 _Let's go on a date!_

 _Go on a date!_

 _On a date!_

 _A Date_

 _Date_.

... A date!?

Frisk gulped and shook her head but Dr. Alphys had gone back inside to get ready for the date.

So… she had to wait. Frisk had no idea how long she had been waiting, probably because she was still trying to comprehend what the heck just happened. The words just... echoed in her mind. She was on a date...?

...Frisk didn't want to think about it.

"Uhhh... sorry! I'm still getting dressed!" Frisk could hear from inside the labs. After several minutes of waiting, Dr. Alphys finally came out.

Dr. Alphys could feel the sweat roll down her face. "H-how do I look?" she asked, gulping afterward. "My friend helped me pick out this dress. She's got a great sense of... Um, anyway! Let's do this thing!"

Frisk sighed. "Okay." Frisk said but Dr. Alphys immediately shook her head and covered her head. "H-h-hey w-w-wait! Actually, we still can't start the date yet!"

Frisk gulped. Dr. Alphys fumbled with her thumbs nervously, her heart beat racing as she recalled steps to dating as per the dating simulators in the videogames she played. "Um, I've gotta give you items to raise your affection statistic, first! That'll increase the chance of a successful outcome to a date. Right...?"

Frisk shrugged. What in the heck was she talking about?

Dr. Alphys could see that Frisk seemed lost. Hm. Maybe she didn't know how to properly date someone...? "Anyway, d-don't worry! I'm prepared! I-I've been stockpiling gifts in anticipation for a date like this! F-first I got... some metal armor polish!"

Frisk looked at Dr. Alphys. "I don't have armor." Frisk said truthfully, noticing that Dr. Alphys looked a bit jumpy.

"Um, maybe you can't use that. But! I also bought some waterproof cream for your scales! Your uh... scales..."

"…" Frisk was unable to even respond that.

"Uh, well, how about... This magical spear repair kit, that I... Um..."

Frisk shook her head. "This is stuff that Undyne might want, actually." Frisk truthfully spoke, noticing that Dr. Alphys got even more nervous.

"Hey, let's forget about the items! Let's just start the date!"

Frisk breathed in, rubbing her forehead. "Okay…" she sighed, noticing the excitement in Dr. Alphys. "Yeah! Let's, uh, date!"

Frisk stared at Dr. Alphys who stared back. And stared.

And Stared.

And Stared.

"Uh..."

Chara sighed **. "This is so awkward, Frisk… just tell her off."** Chara spoke in her head, but Frisk only stared at Dr. Alphys silently.

"Do you... like... Anime...?" she asked nervously. Frisk nodded. "Yeah."

Dr. Alphys blushed as she perked up. "H-hey! Me too!"

Frisk smiled, but just like that, it became awkward again. Oh boy. She could see that Dr. Alphys was thinking of something.

"Hey! Let's! Go somewhere! But where's a good place to go on a date...?"

Frisk shrugged again. "I 'unno."

"I've got it! Let's go to the garbage dump!"

Huh?

Frisk blinked, but before she could say her mind, Dr. Alphys had already begun to walk. Silently, Frisk followed Dr. Alphys.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Here we are! This is where Undyne and I come all the time... We find all sorts of great stuff here. Heh, she's really... uh..."

Frisk felt odd, her finger scratching her forehead. Did Dr. Alphys like Undyne or something…? Just as she was thinking about Undyne, Frisk could hear her magical music getting closer.

"Oh no. That's her over there. I c-can't let her see me on a date with you!" Dr. Alphys panicked, sweat once more dripping down her forehead.

"Eh? Why not?" asked Frisk a little confused.

"Why...? Because... uh... well... Oh no, here she comes!"

"Hey! There you are!" Undyne shouted, walking over to her as she moved her head so that the bangs over her eyepatch could move just a little over to the left. "I, uh, realized if you deliver that thing... It might be a bad idea. So I'm going to do it! Give it to me!"

Frisk looked at her, noticing that Undyne seemed to be panicking over something. "I don't have it."

Undyne straightened out her back, looking quite shocked. "Huh!? You don't have it!?Ngggaaahhh!" she growled and screamed into the sky, letting out her frustration for a moment before composing herself. "Have you at least seen her!?"

Frisk shrugged while looking at the trash can. "Yeah, I've seen her." Frisk truthfully replied.

"So she's somewhere around here... Thanks I'll keep looking." Undyne replied in a hurried tone, scurrying off in search of her without paying mind to what Frisk had been staring at.

Frisk could only sigh.

"Oh my god. W... Well, I guess its obvious, huh? I... uh... really like her. I mean, more than I like other people! I'm sorry. I j-just figured, y-you know... It'd be f-fun to go on, a cute, kind of... Pretend date with you? T-to make you feel better?"

"To make me feel better…? A pity date?" Frisk asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, it sounds even worse when I put it like that. I'm sorry. I messed up again. Undyne's the person I... um... really want to go on a date with. But I mean... She's way out of my league. N-not that you aren't, um, cool! B-but... Undyne..."

Wow. A little insult to add to the wound it seems, but Frisk forgave her. She looked so nervous.

"She's so confident... And strong... And funny... And I'm just a nobody. A fraud. I'm the royal scientist, but... All I've ever done is hurt people. I've told her so many lies, she thinks I'm... She thinks I'm a lot cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she'll... She'll find out the truth about me."

Shaking her head, Frisk sighed. "Dr. Alphys... you have to tell her the truth."

"The truth...? But if I tell her that, she'll hate me. Isn't it better this way? To live a lie where both people are happy... Or a truth were neither of us are? They say 'be yourself', but I don't really like who 'myself' is. I'd rather just be whatever makes people like me. Eheheh..."

Frisk shook her head gently, offering a tender smile. "No. Look Dr. Alphys, if you keep pretending to be someone you're not, then the people you love will… feel betrayed. It's better if you tell them the truth."

Dr. Alphys looked down. "No, you're right. Every day I'm scared. Scared what will happen if people learned the truth on their own. They'll all get hurt because of me... But how can I tell UNDYNE the tr... truth? I d-don't have the confidence... I'm going to mess it up. How can I practice!?"

Oh boy. "Let's role play it… I guess."

Dr. Alphys blush a bit, looking a bit surprised. "R... roleplay? ...That actually sounds kinda fun! OK, which one of us will be Undyne?" she asked, to which Frisk simply replied that she would be undyne. "Oh. Right. Obviously. Ehehe. Ehem. H-hi Undyne... H-how are you today?"

Frisk shrugged. "I'm fine."

Dr. Alphys took a breath of air. "Ha! Ha! Glad to hear it!" She laughed, staring at Frisk who stared back. "Uhhh so I'd like to, um, talk to you about something."

Frisk sighed. "What is it, Alphys?"

Dr. Alphys looked at Frisk, gulping as she tried to come up with something—anything! "Um, you see… I… I… I… haven't been exactly truthful w-w-with you… Y… you see, I… I…"

Letting out a sigh, Frisk began to think of something that Undyne might say in this same position. 'Say it already?', 'What's wrong?'…? Hm… what _would_ Undyne say?

Before Frisk could come up with something to say, Dr. Alphys had shaken her head. "Oh forget it! Undyne! I… I want to tell you how I feel! Y-you're so brave a-and s-strong, a-and nice… Y-you always listen t-to me when I talk about n-n-nerdy stuff… Y-you always d-d-do your best to m-make me f-f-feel special. L-like t-telling me that y-you'll beat up anyone that g-gets in my way…"

Frisk gulped, taking a step back as she shook her head. "Dr. Alphys…" She muttered, but the monster seemed so flustered and fired up. There was no way Frisk could calm her down now, it seemed. "UNDYNE! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANY LONGER! I'M MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU! HOLD ME, UNDYNE! HOLD ME!"

Frisk turned to the left, noticing that Undyne was rushing over with shock bulging out of her eye. Well then… "Dr. Alphyyyssss" hissed Frisk in a whisper but she only kept screaming.

"WHAT did you just say?" Undyne's voice broke Alphys' focus, thereby causing her to fall back in utter shock and humiliation. "U... Undyne! I... was... just..."

A smile appeared on Undyne's expression, and Frisk felt more at ease. "Hey, woah, wait a second! Your outfit's really cute! What's the occasion? Are you two... On a date?" asked Undyne, trying to keep a straight face but inside she could feel her heart start crumble. Dr. Alphys... and the human...? WHAT THE HECK DID DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!? SINCE WHEN!?

"UHHH YES!" Squealed Dr. Alphys with a loud voice, her eyes looking just as shocked as Undyne's. "I mean, UHHH NO! I mean, we were, but, I mean, actually we were only romantically roleplaying as you!"

"WHAT?" boomed Undyne's voice, looking at the two with confusion.

Dr. Alphys' forehead produced even more sweat. "I MEAN!" she yelped, but her eyes caught a glance of Frisk who shook her head and seemed to be begging for her to stop it with her eyes. Taking a quick breath, Dr. Alphys looked down. "I mean... Undyne... I... I've been lying to you!"

Frisk's eyes quickly rolled over to Undyne who seemed shocked now. "WHAT? ABOUT WHAT?" she boomed, but seemed concerned instead of displeased. All that Frisk could do now was just watch... it was like a novela now.

To the side, Frisk could see Chara laughing. **"Oh lord! This is HILARIOUS! Man, you hang around real losers sometimes, Frisk."** Chara laughed, watching as Frisk put her hands on her hips. **"Chara, they're not losers! They're my friends!"** Frisk thought back, noticing that Chara had begun to calm herself down. She rolled her red eyes and crossed her arms. **"Friends, huh? How far is that going to go? How much are your friends willing to sacrifice before they finally say no? Before they abandon you and decide to sacrifice you for the sake of leaving the underground?"**

Frisk took a step back, slightly unnerved by her words that rang in her mind **. "They're not… they're good monsters! Chara, stop trying to make them your enemy! You have to learn to trust others, to have faith in the goodness of the people around you."** Frisk thought back, her ears twitching as she heard Undyne's heroic music. "...Undyne...?" Frisk whispered, her eyes moving to her friends. She had completely forgotten about them for a second. What was going on?

Looking around, it seemed that Undyne and Dr. Alphys were still talking. Should she really be here? Wasn't this something private and intimate…? Frisk glanced towards Chara seemed to scowl. **"It's gonna get you killed, kiddo. That blind trust you have in others? It's going to come back and bite you."** Chara warned, her red eyes staring at Frisk who was frozen by her words. Did she perhaps figure out her real intentions? Did Chara just give away her motives?

…No. The kid's eyes softened and she had a small smile. "Chara… even if you can't trust anyone else… do you trust me? I promise, I won't hurt you. I'll try to make you understand, all you need, is just a little faith."

Chara opened her mouth, ready to retaliate with words, but her voice was silent as she stared into those warm brown eyes. A little faith… pssh. Instead of answering to her words, Chara turned her head, signifying she was done talking to her. The child could only stare at her silently the rest of the time, that is, until someone startled her.

"GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN'! IT'S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!"

Frisk blinked several times, her eyes realizing that Papyrus was now here. W-what happened while she was talking to Chara? "Ready? I'm about to start the timer!" Undyne shouted, while Dr. Alphys continued to be inside the trash can. Her shaky voice seemed a little more confident. "Undyne... I'll do my best...!"

Before Frisk could ask what happened while she had zoned out, Undyne's music played at a fast pace and Undyne caught her arm with shocked eyes.

"OH MY GOD! She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons... those comics... Those are still real, RIGHT!? ANIME'S REAL, RIGHT?!"

Startled, Frisk took back her arm. "Anime's not real."

"No... NO!" screamed Undyne, shaking her head with saddened. "I CAN FEEL MY HEART BREAKING INTO PIECES!"

For a moment, Frisk realized that her words had caused Undyne pain. Oops. Before she could apologize, Undyne seemed to have begun to recover. "...no, I can survive this... I have to be strong. For Alphys. Thank you, human, for telling me the truth. I'll try my best to live in this world... See you later!"

Splashing away, Undyne left behind Frisk who was still confused as to what had happened. She was so focused on Chara that she had completely blocked out whatever had happened.

No matter. "I have to leave… I **have** to leave. Even if they're my friends…" Frisk said to herself, grabbing the golden flower on her hair which seemed to be doing better considering it was dying. It looked so pretty, even while it was damaged.

"Frisk?" MK asked himself, hiding behind a pile of trash as he watched Undyne disappear. Frisk was adjusting the golden flower on her ear, her eyes looking around to make sure she was alone before leaving.

Just as MK was mustering up his courage to call her out, he noticed that she looked in a lot of hurry. Did she want to leave that badly?

"Oh… I guess you're in a hurry to leave, huh?"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk walked into the lab, her eyes watching as the ghostly figure of Chara looked around. "That's odd, the lizard's not here." She said, noticing that Frisk had made a frown. "Her name is Dr. Alphys, Chara."

"Whatever. Pasta boy sent us back here for her, and she's not around. We need to meet up with Vinnie down at L9 anyways, let's just go. She's fine, she left a note. Let's just go." Chara replied, watching as the child shook her head at her words and had begun to read the note. "The truth...? She's hiding something too." whispered Frisk, looking up and noticing that the elevator door opened for her, almost as if it were inviting her inside. "…I… I don't want to go inside. I just want to leave, Chara. They're all hiding something, it's almost like I can't trust anyone!"

Chara walked over to the elevator, her hand on her hip as she shook her head. "Hey, calm down kid. Look, forget Dr. Alphys. Let's just go down to L9 and meet up with Vinnie. She'll solve our problems."

The child looked at the ghostly image of Chara, her brown eyes casting doubts, but eventually the little girl nodded. "O-okay. I _trust_ you, Chara." She said as she walked inside the elevator, her finger pushing the L9 Button and waiting patiently for the elevator to go down.

Beside her the ghost girl looked at her with guilty red eyes. **"…don't trust me; you idiot…"** She thought to herself, looking away immediately. The elevator door closed, and it slowly began to move, that is, until the lights went out and sirens sounded off. "WARNING! WARNING! ELEVATOR LOSING POWER! EM TETHER STABILITY LOST! ALTITUDE DROPPING!"

Chara felt a pull on her chest where her heart and SOUL would go. Someone was messing with the machine. Beside her, the child screamed as she fell down due to gravity, hitting her head hard and losing consciousness. Without another second to spare, Chara manifested into a misty orb and floated through walls until she was where her SOUL was housed.

"…Asriel… What do you think you're doing?" Chara whispered, noticing a piece of leaf on the floor. All it took was to switch the power on, and that was easy peasy for Chara, but just before she was about to do it, Vinnie stopped her. Her blue eyes glowed as she stepped from the shadows, her bare feet making no sounds like a true ninja. Even Chara had a hard time making no sounds like this.

"Don't do it. Let the girl uncover the secrets that Dr. Alphys meant to hide. Seal her fear of monsters. Once she faces Asgore and your little brother, everything will be ready. All you need to do is possess Frisk when she is alone with the baby goat in his weak form. Use your knife to backstab him, thereby absorbing all the monster SOULs. I will appear and take the extra SOULs, and we can start from there. No resistance, whatsoever. The purification of the world will begin."

Chara nodded as she looked away. "Yeah, okay, got it. So, were you going to take my SOUL?" asked Chara with a slightly angry tone. The android picked up on the sudden hostility. "Hm? That overworked thing? Certainly not. If you do as I say, I will not require your soul, besides, if I were to remove it right now, there's a chance the earthquakes and the rise in temperature might hinder Frisk's progression. I simply needed to make sure the child understood that the monsters are her enemies so that she will not give any resistance to your takeover of her body. Her fear will augment your power, after all."

Chara nodded. "…yeah, her fear. I guess I'll wait here… alone." Sitting down in front of the SOUL machine, Chara watched as Vinnie's left hand turned to a white, steamy mist, followed by the rest of her body. The metal skeleton compacted together into a ball that floated with the mist, and it shot off without so much of a goodbye.

It was going to take Frisk a while for her to figure out how to get in here, wasn't it? And with all the amalgamates roaming around, the already panicked Frisk would more than likely lose all trust for monsters in general.

Somehow, Chara thought this victory should've tasted sweeter. All it did was leave a bitter taste that angered her. She looked down at the floor, her eyes staring at her hand as a warm recollection of Grillby came back to mind, her cheeks growing hotter as she tried desperately to avoid thinking of him but instead his flattery and amicable nature seemed to invade her mind. "UGH! That stupid… stupidly smooth monster." Chara sighed, crossing her arms as she tried to think of death and destruction but instead all that came to mind was her rescue from Gaster in that alternate timeline.

He was so worried about her, just like Steamy…

" _I'm so sorry Chara… but now that you're here with me, I'm not letting go of you so easily."_

Chara's arms slowly loosened up and she sat with her legs crossed. "She probably died in that timeline… what an idiot…" Chara muttered to herself with a frown. Even so, those two monsters seemed to demonstrate a nurturing love for her, even while she showed them her malice. Even when Chara was so angry at Steamy, she wouldn't let go of her at night, that night on their first evening into the new timeline. She was so remorseful…

" _Stay here with me. I'll make sure no harm comes to you."_

Chara narrowed her eyes as the familiar voice echoed inside her mind. _"Give us another chance. I'll make sure you have the life you always wanted."_

Looking down, the ghost grinded her teeth. "Shut up Steamy… Stop filling my head with fantasies…" Chara whispered to herself as her hands turned to fists. Still, those whispers subconsciously filled her angry spirit with a sense of renewed hope. A small ember of faith that perhaps not everything was just black and white. That perhaps Chara had just gotten the worst of the world during her time alive.

Sitting alone, Chara pondered on this idea while her body reminisced the warmth that the flaming monster seemed to emanate. Frisk's body always seemed to be glowing with that same heat, and everyone around her showered her with that same familiar warmth…

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile...

*********°*********•*********°*********

"it's over, grillbz. Frisk hates me." Sans lamented, his head on his arm which rested on the counter of the bar. Outside of the bar, patrons looked through the windows momentarily before going on their way after reading the 'Closed for today' sign.

"It's not over yet, Sans. Look, you've lost her trust, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't win it back eventually. You have to be straight with her from now on—no more hiding secrets. As for Chara… Look, Sans, give me a chance. Let me talk to her." Grillby suggested, looking down at the skeleton who shook his head.

"there isn't a chance anymore, buddy. frisk is already at the throne room by now, fighting Asgore and whatnot. we're too late. i'm just waiting for that demon to come bursting through here—i won't let her get to you, i promise! and paps is with undyne, so, he should be good for a while. i just want to die right now, grillby. i let everyone down."

The empty bar was in silence while Grillby analyzed his friend. He was too depressed to cheer up, it seemed. "We can't give up." Grillby insisted, bending down and grabbing his coat and fedora.

"just give up, grillby. i did." Sans sadly replied, his hand reaching out for the second mason jar of special ketchup and lifting his head just so that he could chug it. Before lowering his head again, he noticed that Grillby had walked past him, but Sans did not care at this rate.

Lowering his head, Sans mumbled to himself while Grillby looked back with a worried expression. "Put your faith in me, Sans. Is that so much to ask for? Geeze." Chuckled Grillby before he left the bar with the lights off, walking through the empty town. He was going to at least try. He was going to the castle.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back with Chara…

*********°*********•*********°*********

Dr. Alphys looked at the amalgamates. "Come on, guys. It's time for everyone to go home."

After Dr. Alphys left with the amalgamates, Frisk turned around and stared at the machine that seemed to loom over her. She looked to the corner of the room where she could see Chara sitting down with a slight blush evident.

"Vinnie left. She'll meet up with us later… um… Frisk? Can I ask you something?" asked Chara, noticing that the human looked a little terrified. "…y-y-yeah. What is it, Chara?" she asked, looking around while holding the knife dear to her heart.

The ghost shrugged. "Why do you care about them? What do you get from sparing them after they've terrified you?" asked Chara, her red eyes looking at the child intently.

Frisk blinked a few times before she looked down at the floor. "I… I've made a lot of friends. There's MK, and River Person… and Papyrus and Undyne… Grillby's really cool too. They've showed me a side to them that they don't show a lot of people, and their friendship is really nice. They've welcomed me with open arms, and I can feel their love for me. Even if the world around me is really scary… I just think about them and how much they care about me, and the world seems less scary. Of course now… I don't know if I should trust them either. I'm so scared Chara… I… I learned some things about this lab…" Frisk explained, noticing that Chara seemed to frown.

"Stop it, Frisk…"

The little girl looked at the ghost with confused eyes, but before she could ask, the ghost sighed. "Geeze, we're so alike right now. You should stop letting other people influence you, kid. You're too trusting. Ugh. Look, just go out there and face Asgore. I'll meet you up there."

Before Frisk could ask a question, the ghost vanished and left the confused girl to herself.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **The Mountain Boss Arc** : We interrupt this BOSS Fight to bring you... *********°*********•*********°*********

"I'm ready, King Asgore." Frisk spoke, her cold brown eyes meeting his shaky own. Frisk was DETERMINED! She was going to get to the surface, one way or another, and she was going to live out her life and Chara would enjoy it with her. She was going to save the both of them from the monsters who seemed to hide bad secrets.

"... I see... This is it, then..." Asgore sighed, trying to brace his heart for what he had to now. Still… he felt tired. So tired. Sure, he was the hope of all monsters right now, but… but was just so tempting to give up. To just… taken in this child and resume his life as it had been before this mess. To throw away his plans of leaving the underground, to just, be a family man again and nothing else.

"Ready?" he asked with a smile as he clapped his hands and watched the little girl look at the SOUL jars with fear. How easy could it be for this child to claim his SOUL at this rate? He felt so unwilling to FIGHT…

"Human..." Asgore spoke softly, lifting his head as the royal Burgentrucking melody ended. "It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." He managed to smile before lowering his head.

The little girl closed her eyes as her hands grasped the knife close to her heart, feeling the throbbing inside her rib cage as she told herself how badly she wanted to get to the surface. She had to get to the surface. She had to!

She waited for the mountain king to start the battle, but nothing happened. Her eyes were too scared to open themselves, but after a time, she needed to. Her brown eyes opened to another familiar goat, her smile looking over her with warmth.

"What a miserable creature," Toriel spoke, "Torturing such a poor, innocent, youth..."

The girl stared at her with her mouth agape, her hands trembling as she shook her head and fluttered her eyes. "…w-what?" Frisk asked in a mumble, trying to comprehend what was going on. Toriel… she didn't want to speak with her after she decided to leave. She was locked inside the RUINS. How…?

"Do not be afraid, my child. It is I, TORIEL, your friend and guardian. At first, I thought I'd let you make your journey alone... but I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous... and ultimately it would have burdened you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat ASGORE. However... I realized... I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I've been trying to prevent the whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as ASGORE is... He deserves mercy too."

Frisk let out a shaky breath. Suspend the battle… did this mean that she was going to stay here, or maybe she could talk to them into letting her leave? Or finding some other way? Something?

"Tori… you came back!" King Asgore exclaimed with happiness in his tone, but Toriel's angry tone snapped back. "Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr! You pathetic welp. If you really wanted to free our kind... you could have gone through the barrier after you got ONE SOUL... taken six SOULS from humans, then come back and freed everyone peacefully. But instead you made everyone live in despair... Because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes."

Asgore looked down with a frown as he shook his head. "...Tori... You're right... I'm a miserable creature..." he spoke, lifting his head with a smile that formed ever so slowly. "...but, do you think we can at least be friends again?"

"NO, Asgore." Toriel replied, crossing her arms as her adamant voice helped her stand up straight and tall. There was no hope for their relationship to reconcile. Not an ounce of hope. Frisk didn't seem to care much about the matter. Instead, she jumped up when someone came burst in.

"Ngahhhhhh! ASGORE! Human! Nobody fight each other! Everyone's gonna make friends, or else I'll...! I'll..."

Toriel stared at the newcomer. "Hello. I am TORIEL. Are you the human's friend? It is nice to meet you." Toriel introduced herself, her eyes fluttering as she realized it had to be Ulfer's daughter. That fiesty merman sure did have the same grin, after all. "Uh, yeah...? Nice to meet you!"

" **Oh…** _ **her**_." Chara said, crossing her arms as her spirit manifested beside Frisk who was slightly confused. " **Tch! Tells you she loves you, then replaces you with whatever kid falls in her lap…** " Chara muttered, noticing that Frisk was staring at her with a blank expression. Someone else came into the room, bringing Frisk out of her train of thought.

"H-Hey! Nobody hurt each other!"

Oh. Dr. Alphys was here… Frisk looked to Toriel who seemed surprised, but introduced herself once more.

"Oh! Are you another friend? I am TORIEL. Hello!"

" **Oh brother, what's next, pasta boy**?" Chara sighed with frustration, noticing that Frisk had begun to giggle while looking towards the entrance.

"HEY, NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE! IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE...! THEN I'LL! BE FORCED! TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!"

Chara sighed. Of course. The bandwagon of idiots was all here…

"Papy!" Frisk exclaimed with a certain relief. The one monster whom she knew would never, ever, betray her or harm her was here and he was now lifting her up into his arms. Papyrus… It felt nice to be in his arms once more, but now the happy skeleton was setting her down and looking at Toriel with confused eyes. "OH! HELLO YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus saluted, but quickly bent down to Frisk and whispered, "PSST! HEY HUMAN... DID ASGORE SHAVE...? AND... CLONE HIMSELF?"

Sans looked back, wondering if Grillby would be okay at the entrance. He had arrived earlier and had been searching for Frisk when the group of monsters found him. After sobering up what little he could, he could see that Grillby was just as surprised as he was about it. Sans probably looked normal, if not, a little sleepy. After meeting up, he said he felt someone had followed them and stayed back.

Stepping inside the room, Sans noticed a tall goat lady. Huh. Okay... not sure where this random lady came from, but at least no one was fighting and Frisk was safe. Smiling even.

"hey guys... what's up?" Sans asked casually. He looked at Frisk who got closer to Papyrus, her eyes averting his gaze.

"Hello, I think we may... know each other?" Toriel asked as she impulsively walked over to the short skeleton with a blush and sparkling eyes.

"oh hey. i recognize your voice, too." Sans replied, doing a double take as he tried to comprehend that this was the lady behind the door. It was a goat lady! A tall goat lady... Queen Toriel the goat lady! She was Frisk's mother, the lady he made his promise to. The promise that was more trouble to him than what he originally thought.

... he had a crush on ol' lady Toriel? Now he remembers her. She was Asgore's ex... and she was the lady behind the door. The lady he had a crush on for obvious reasons, and she was Queen Toriel. How was he supposed to react to this?

"I am TORIEL. So nice to meet you." She smiled, unable to believe that she was meeting one of Arial's great grandchildren. He was so short! And the other one was so tall! The short skelly chuckled as he winked and replied, "the name's sans. and, uh, same."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile...

*********°*********•*********°*********

Grillby watched as everyone walked past him, but none of them seemed to be the person he felt. Someone had ill intentions… _someone_.

Waiting casually outside the makeshift tunnel, Grillby leaned on the good part of the wall until the person of interest finally emerged from the shadows.

"Ah, one of the experiments dares to stand in my way? Do you wish to be the first to die?" it asked with a feminine voice, her blue eyes flashing white and red as it grinned. It was oddly… pretty, in a scary type of way. Grillby was a fan of beauty, and he couldn't deny that this woman intrigued him.

"My lady, is that something someone of your caliber should be saying? One usually greets another person. I'm quite curious as to how you know certain secrets no one should know… My name's Grillby, and you are…?" asked Grillby, his smooth covering up the confusion he had. No one else was supposed to know about him. Who was this?

"LinoType. Binary LinoType. I go as 'Vinnie', sometimes. What? Surprised, _hot stuff_?" asked Vinnie, grinning as she approached him, her left hand turning to steam and caressing the flameman's cheek before he side stepped with a somewhat calm demeanor. He looked at her left arm and realized that it was the same steam that Steamy used to have—what in the hell was going on? She felt real, and her voice was smooth, like a living person's. He honestly wouldn't have believed it to be Vinnie… but…

Vinnie shrugged, slowly turning around and letting her long hair flow as she stared at the monster before her. He was someone dangerous if he found out her weakness at the moment. No time to play around, it seemed. Calculations for victory were 82.341%, however, that was not enough. She needed a decisive victory, and to eliminate him.

"Dr. Segoe and Dr. Courier built this android with the best technology at the time. I am armed with the best experiments both scientists had to offer… I suggest you flee before you greet death at an early time." Vinnie threatened, her right hand growing white scales.

Grillby gulped, but shook his head. Scales. That had to be…

"Pity. You were an agreeable sort." Vinnie smiled, her right hand turning into a large snake whose saliva was green with bubbles.

Knowing that he had to stop Vinnie, Grillby's flames grew bigger and stronger as he fired several fire shots in her general direction, watching as the android dodged every single one of them with ease. He jumped back and watched as the snake spit out a green acid that ate away at the ground, the bubbles rising up and bursting, causing several holes to litter the ground. Her right hand was dangerous…

The two battled from far away, the acid eating away at the earth beneath them and Grillby's flames engulfing the general area. Much like her predictions, Grillby was keeping up with her and had the opportunity and the power to take her out if he knew her weakness, of course. Luckily for her, her intelligence was superb.

Standing far from the flamesman, the android stood on a piece of ground that was secured and free of acid. A stable foundation. "You are impressive, but this is goodbye." Vinnie stated with confidence, her right hand rising up and shooting large amounts of acid in the general direction between herself and Grillby, her left hand growing hotter and hotter as steam rose up and surrounded her body in a cloudy shield.

Much like anticipated, Grillby had sent a barrage of flames and fireballs her way, but thankfully the steam's ultimate defense was working. She watched calmly as the steam turned thicker until it solidified and swatted away his attempts at harming her. Still… this battle was eating away her power reserves. This was not an optimal decision. She needed to get a SOUL to unlock her true potential.

"Enough! Time to die." She stated with a shaky confidence as a beeping sound came from her left arm. Power Reserves on her left hand had fallen to a meek 25% so fast?

Grillby's fedora had fallen nearby and his hands were engulfed in raging flames as he bombarded Vinnie with powerful shots. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about losing at this rate, but he could see that something was wrong with Vinnie, even from far away. He was doing something right, it seems. Powers like those… they had to drain her, right? Sans' portable computer would start beeping whenever it needed to connect to a power supply… and Vinnie was still just a machine.

Taking a chance, the flamesman darted forward while his hands supercharged a flaming wall in front of him as his main line of defense and offense. The smell of his jacket burning away along with bits of his long sleeved blouse filled his senses as he tried to focus on the now slightly baffled android. He was closing in their distance—which was both beneficial and dangerous. Pushing his powers even further, Grillby's eyes flashed white as he summoned two more rolling waves of flames, trapping the android in a triangle that closed in on her.

"You fool… my calculations are in my favor." Vinnie sneered as the steam dissipated whereas the snake only grew bigger, spilling acid down on the floor while Vinnie's feet levitated from the ground. Pools of acid fell down as big bubbles rose up and burst, causing a rippling chain reaction that spread on the earth. Her blue eyes flashed a white and the sounds of a dial-up tone came from her head as she awaited the phenomenon. It was bound to happen. Her calculations were never wrong.

Grillby pressed on despite the acid, being careful of not getting himself close to it. His flames passed by it just fine, but his powers could feel the raw destructive power it had and what it could do to him if he happened to have a mishap with it. It was not going to be fun. From his peripheral vision he noticed something in the sky—a black box, or several black boxes appearing and disappearing, appearing and disappearing, all scattered about the sky.

His flames were a good distance away from Vinnie, but close enough to noticed that sweat had begun to appear on her white skin. Huh. He didn't know androids would sweat. A cooling mechanism perhaps? Sans did say that machines could overheat and shut down because of it. Whatever it was, Grillby was now fired up! His steps hastened, but he felt the earth tremble as he did. He moved his body as acid spread out faster now, his boots setting on fire as his feet became hotter and hotter. Shoot. He loved those boots. But this was a matter of life and death… and his feet had manifested so much power that he was now able to lightly levitate himself out of the acid's harm. Still, a few bursts of bubbles did come his way but he could think about the scarring holes on his body and clothes later. Grunting, he pressed on harder.

Vinnie blinked as she smirked, looking at the ground behind Grillby which had begun to glitch out, followed by the ground in front of him. The pools of acid stretched out further, and aided by the natural phenomenon of the errors in the environment, her victory was close at hand. She watched as Grillby's surprised expression switched to horror as he now fell several hundred meters down into the lava beneath the castle. He could only levitate so much…

Reverting her right arm back to its idle state, she saw that she still had 60% remaining compared to her left arm's laughable 13%. Overall power outlook on her body appeared to be at a 41%.

She needed to get a SOUL soon.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back with Frisk and Company...

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Finally..." he breathed out, opening his eyes to the darkness all around them. He could feel a familiar presence behind him. He looked down at his white hands as he stretched them. "I was so tired of being a flower."

Behind him, Frisk stood silently while her eyes glowed an intense red. Her body was frozen in place, and try as she might, she could not move or say anything. She felt really sad, angry, and frustrated all at the same time—this **had** to be Chara's emotions overwhelming her body. Her lips moved, and her voice was shaky. "…not you…" she whispered almost silently to herself, her feet trembling as they managed to take a step back.

The small goat breathed in his first breath of fresh air in his old body before turning around with a smile. "Howdy! Chara, are you there?" he asked, his eyes squinting as he smiled. There in front of him was Chara, beautiful as always, with those mesmerizing red eyes. Those red gems looked back at him with fear—she was scared of him. He noticed that her skin and hair looked different from what he remembered, but it didn't matter. Stripped sweatshirt, red eyes—it was her signature look. It had to be her. "It's me, your best friend..." he added, hoping to see her rejoice but instead she recoiled further.

Of course. She never really loved him, huh? She only used him so that she could try and get revenge on the humans on the surface, huh? And now, she was trying to manipulate everyone into loving her, but she was going to secretly kill everyone, wasn't she? She wanted to finish what she started… but not on his watch. No. They were going to play this game together, forever.

The pain of betrayal flowed strongly in his veins now as he powered up. The instant he changed his form he saw her take several steps back, her red eyes fading into a brown and her expression turning to awe and fear as his body glowed with power. "W-who are you…?" she whimpered like a confused child which made him scoff. How dare Chara try to confuse him now.

Gritting his teeth, his anger fueled him. "ASRIEL DREEMURR!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile…

*********°*********•*********°*********

About a thousand feet or two down, Grillby's hand gripped unto the fallen rock as he pulled himself out of the lava, his body aching badly as he laid on his back and looked up. Half a minute of trying to reach the piece of rock. That was a long fall. If that piece of rock hadn't fallen with him, he'd probably be dead right about now, wouldn't he? He raised his shaking hands which were bigger, along with the rest of his body. Dipping inside the lava and living to tell the tale… didn't steamy live through a nuclear explosion? How powerful and expert of a monster was she to accomplish such a feat? Dipping into the lava was probably child's play for her, wasn't it?

He took several breaths before staring ahead at long way he had to go in order to catch up to that monster. He needed to help Sans.

He sat up, feeling faster and stronger, but his body ached badly. He felt as if he was going into overdrive now, a sudden power boost flowing through his veins. Didn't Steamy say she had been glowing with vast amount of power for days? Perhaps the same had happened to him, although… he also felt like his body had been submerged naked in several feet of snow in sub-zero temperatures, which was the equivalent of a normal monster getting hit by Tsunderplane going at 60 miles per hour because she was in a hurry. Yeah… that monster… scared other monsters a lot sometimes.

Shaking his head, Grillby stood up naked after all of his clothes had been turned into a crisp in the lava. Dear god, his lack of decency was driving him insane. But he'd think about that once he was on solid ground. For now… getting up there was the priority.

Tightening his fists, Grillby took a deep breath and focused on his feet, taking a leap of faith towards the lava as his heart pounded. If he was wrong, he'd die. If he stayed down here, he'd die. His eyes were closed shut, and air hit his face as his hands also fired up and shot flames down, aiding his feet which were using the raw power he had just acquired to shoot himself up. Steamy wasn't lying then… she really did fly through the air, like in the story. Flying just like he was now… suspended in air by the force of his flames against gravity, shooting up so fast that his head had begun to get light.

He panicked the moment he realized he had passed his objective, and was now falling down. He braced himself and fell right side first unto the ground, thankfully, somewhere stable and acid-free. He sat up and looked at the trembling tunnel, hearing the echoes of pebbles falling from inside of it. Without thinking much about the risks he was taking, he sprinted inside, feeling bits of collapsed wall fall and brush past him. Whoever caused this cave in was certainly in a hurry and didn't care about the walls collapsing. Someone good, perhaps?

The end of the tunnel felt like a blessing, and he coughed as he wheezed, looking around the rest of the corridor. He was in the castle… perhaps… there was pants nearby, at least? Anything.

"Darn it, I can't exactly show up in the nude, can I? I hope you can stall Vinnie, Sans." Grillby said to himself as he went into a dash.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Save the World

*********°*********•*********°*********

"No!" Shouted Frisk as she finally regained control of her body, fluttering her eyes as fear overwhelmed her senses. Why was Chara so scared?

" **Where is Vinnie?!"** exclaimed Chara's ghost in a panicked voice, her appearing beginning to change. Her smooth face seemed to be cracking like a porcelain doll. Why was she so scared? Frisk couldn't figure it out. Eventually, Chara disappeared into a dark and deep red mist.

Left alone, huh? Frisk didn't know what to do anymore. She was in a fight, against a big goat who looked scary. His battle music seemed so… cool and epic though. Frisk was in utter awe.

First thing was first: Checking his Stats.

Frisk took out the knife with a trembling right hand while her left hand waved over a transparent yellow block.

"ASRIEL DREEMURR… infinity ATK and infinity DEF…? Legendary being made of every SOUL in the underground…?" Frisk whimpered, her eyes widening as she forced he body to move as an incoming fireball came her way, followed by several others.

Across from Frisk, Asriel laughing as he shook his head. "Come on Chara… you can do better than that." He told himself, watching as the girl cried out. "Oww! It burns!"

What, did Chara take him for another fool now? Trying to seem like a dainty princess…? He watched as she clasped her hand together, her brown eyes staring at him with sparkling eyes as she hoped she could get through this. This was nothing like how Chara would act with him.

" _Hah! Get real, Asriel! Me, be cute? Pfft. Come on, if you wanna play with me… show me what you can REALLY DO!"_ Chara's voice echoed in his mind, burning the image of her smirk, her red cheeks, and those eyes…

His blue eyes fired up while his breast swelled up with frustration. Why was Chara so different with him? Why did she play him for an idiot when he loved her so much…!?

All along, she had been planning to use him for her plan.

All along, she planned to leave him.

 _All alone_.

His blue eyes began to change colors, glowing like a rainbow as his hands turned to fists and he summoned up his powers. The darkness around them turned to an array of colors and he laughed as he sent a barrage of stars her way. He watched as she dodged a few of them with sloppy feet—nothing like how she'd dance around attacks! Did she really think he was going to fall for whatever this tactic was?

Tch! She was going to see! She was going to see just how awesomely-awesome his attacks were! He was the GOD OF HY-PERDEATH! And this wasn't just another game anymore… this was a really big, complex game now. A game where if she won, she might not reset anymore. A game where she might decide to finish what she started. A game where he could go back to being a flower, forgotten and hated.

He didn't want that. He really didn't want that. Being that flower… it made his mind all fuzzy. He'd say things, do things, think things that… that really weren't himself. He began to charge his SHOCKER BREAKER while thinking to himself, watching the girl continue to hope and take damage. That was so unlike Chara…

Laughing a little, Asriel shook his head as he shrugged. "You know… I don't care about destroying this world anymore."

He watched as Frisk perked up with a smile of relief, that is, until he caused several thunderbolts to fall down on the battle ground, shocking Frisk several times. 3HP.

Beside Frisk, Chara stared at the child who refused to fight back. Her right hand trembled with the weight of the knife and her left hand reached for her pack, taking out a plastic cup of Sea Tea and drinking it in its entirety. "Frisk," Chara began to say. "You have to kill him! Did you SEE those stats!?" Chara panicked, turning her head and looking at the teenage-seeming goat who looked a bit more serious, but still had those rainbow colors about him and stars, and… jeeze, even if he wanted to make himself look older, he still thought like a child, huh?

Still… those stats didn't lie. He had an infinite amount of power, thanks to the SOULs that Frisk didn't pick up like she told her to. Instead, she had focused on her friends who had showed up to help her. A lot of monsters. Certainly, it wasn't the ENTIRE underground, no, it couldn't be… could it? Nah. But even so, with those SOULs and the human SOULs… Asriel had a lot of power. Would Vinnie be able to compete with that?

Even if Vinnie activated the SOUL suction protocol…

…that would be too hard to watch.

To see it happen again…

"After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline…" Asriel spoke, pausing for a moment as he noticed Chara stop and stare at him with guilt and horror. Chara knew about the timelines, of course she did. Why did she keep pretending to be someone she's not!? "I just want to reset everything." Asriel added, narrowing his eyes as he summoned two giant swords into his hands, swiping them forward towards the girl, watching as she ducked and dodged as best as she could and getting hit only once.

He glanced at the familiar dagger in her hands, its glint sparkling as she brought it to her chest where she tried to steady her breath. Above her hand the golden locket looked back as she continued to hope with all her strength that Asriel could be reasoned with. Yes, Frisk was ready to do whatever she had to do in order to go home, but… but when everyone showed up against Flowey… it made her realize that they really did care about her. Even if Papy had been manipulated by Flowey… Papy's intentions were pure! She could feel it in her bones, that, that monster was of such pure and tender feelings. And then… there was Chara. Chara, who wanted to fight the world whenever anyone challenged her, or when the opportunity arose. But… But Flowey…

" **Please Frisk, don't let him win! He's going to ruin our future!"** Chara implored once more, watching as Frisk took a deep breath and clenched the mysterious locket. Chara was trying so hard to shut herself away from everyone, but with Asriel, or Flowey, or whatever they were… Frisk had a feeling that there was a certain bond that even Chara couldn't cut. "We're going to get through this, Chara… Have a little faith." Frisk whispered as she looked at the floating goat who laughed and shook his head. The deep red mist entered her lungs once more. **"I'm not letting him hurt you."**

Asriel shook his head, noticing that Chara's brown eyes had begun to glow a little redder and seemed to be flowing with more and more DETERMINATION. "All your progress… Everyone's memories… I'll bring them all back to zero!" He shouted as he swiped his hands, watching as the girl moved with more confidence, dodging all of the thunderbolts.

" _Hahaha! Is that all you can do, Azzy? You're_ _ **NOT**_ _ready for the big league—me and Sansy play too rough for ya." Chara smirked, her hand tapping on his right shoulder but appearing on his left, her laughter causing him to blush and look down. "B-but Chara! It's just a game!" Asriel replied, watching as she booped his snout and jumped back, crossing her arms as she shook her head. "It's not_ _ **JUST**_ _a game anymore. You'll understand when you're a bit older." She winked, sprinting past him while he could only turn around with dazed eyes._

Asriel narrowed his eyes. It wasn't just a game anymore. Being that wretched flower taught him things… things that seemed so cruel. It taught him that this world was like a game. A game that would be altered in the 'void'. That, someone could and can essentially become 'immortal' and go back to a 'SAVE FILE'. That one could 'ERASE' a 'SAVE FILE'. That one could play **god.**

Frisk gulped down another Sea Tea, her mind becoming clearer and her feet feeling lighter. His words… they sounded like they wanted to hurt her, but Frisk knew that she had a fighting chance. Her memories… Her memories had been lost to her until recently. She was NOT going to lose her memories so easily! But it did get Frisk thinking… why was he so focused on resetting? What did he get out of it? More importantly, why did Chara seem so vulnerable at the moment? Her right hand which held the knife was very shaky—and this was Chara holding the knife. Frisk wanted to put it away, but Chara insisted.

Asriel watched as she healed herself and laughed. Her body took a defensive stance, her right hand holding out her knife like Chara would do when she was readying herself for an attack. "Then we can do everything ALL over again." Asriel said, summoning his stars and disappearing into a rainbow of colors while the girl jumped around the battlefield with her knife out, deflecting any stars she was unable to dodge and taking no damage. That was the Chara he remembered!

Frisk let out a breath, her shaking right hand swiping the air while her left hand once more clenched the locket that pulsed in her palm. "Stop it, Azzy…" Frisk's voice whispered with an overlay of Chara's voice, the left hand gripping the locket as Asriel shook his head again and laughed. "…you silly goat…"

Asriel could faintly hear Chara's voice in the distance, his heart throbbing for a moment as he broke into a grin. It was really her. "…And you know what the best part of all this is? You'll DO it." He stated, watching as he blasted bullets her way and she merely dodged and deflected each and every one of them, her brown eyes glowing an intense red while her lips seemed twisted between a frown and glee. Once more, she had taken no damage and seemed to be getting more DETERMINED.

" _Give it up, Azzy. You're not ready to fight on par with us big kids." Chara chuckled, stretching out her arms while Asriel fell back unto his bottom with the two swords he had manifested in his hands. "B-but Chara, you're too fast! If I keep training, I'll get stronger and be just as awesome as you. Pleaseee?" Asriel begged, putting down his two swords as she smiled and winked. "You won't get better because you'll keep losing to me."_

Asriel laughed, his hands summoning his two swords which were much bigger than when he was a child. "And then you'll lose to **me** again."

Frisk nervously watched as her body moved from side to side, her right hand continuing to tremble as Chara seemed to be coordinating her movements. Once more, it was a flawless dance with no damage taken. " **Frisk, PLEASE, let me attack him!** " Chara begged, but once more, Frisk refused. " **No, Chara. Just trust me, okay?"** she asked, watching as Chara once more reached for the locket. Even if Frisk refused, Chara was the one controlling the movement—Chara was not attacking Asriel. If she really wanted to…

"And Again…" Asriel simply said, once more shooting bullets towards Chara but once more she proved to be too fast and agile. He grunted and grinded his teeth, feeling the frustration beginning to amount on his shoulders. Chara closed her eyes momentarily before opening them and looking at him with concerned eyes.

"And again!" He shouted, waving his hands as he conjured up more lightning bolts, smiling and laughing as finally her luck ran out and several bolts caught up to her.

Frisk let out a bloody cough but her right hand quickly wiped the blood away. "I'm **NOT** giving up!" she shouted right back, her voice infused with Chara's voice, both of their DETERMINATION coming together for the same cause. **"I refuse to give up, no matter how many times I fail!"** Chara's voice shouted inside of Frisk's mind. **"And I refuse to give up, no matter how many times it takes!"** Frisk shouted right back, the two girls finally agreeing on something. Her left hand reached into the bag, grabbing something fluffy which had not been in there before. It a cloud, sparkling and smelling of ChocoFlan. Before taking a bite out of it, it transformed into an actual ChocoFlan slice! Frisk's dream came true! For Chara… the best part was the chocolate.

Opposite of them, Asriel shook his head. "Because you want a 'happy ending'." He stated, watching as he hit her once more with the stars, but she easily dodged and deflected them all. He watched her, his anger pulsating inside the locket he carried around his neck.

"Because you 'love your friends.'" He mocked with seething anger, manifesting his swords once more as he tried to hit her with them. He only landed one attack, but even then, she didn't seem to care! How dare she! Why!? WHY! Why did she toy around with him? She preferred Sans over him. She gave preference to everyone. She cared about what they thought of her. Why didn't she care about what he thought of her? Why did she seem obsessed with trying to get a 'perfect' ending!? Why!

Her fierce eyes looked back at him, and he simply laughed.

Of course. It was so simple. "Because you _never_ give up."

He watched as she dodged and deflected everything, that is, until his surprise addition of stars attacked her. She jumped back and wiped the blood away.

"Isn't that delicious? Your 'determination'. The power that let you get this far…" Asriel spoke, watching as she once more clenched her locket, his locket pulsing. No. She was just trying to play him again. "…Is gonna be your downfall!" He shouted, watching as she scrambled to try and dodge the thunderbolts, but again, he had summoned too many and she had been overwhelmed. 5 HP.

"No…" Frisk breathed out, her body twitching as her left hand reached for another dream that had appeared in her bag. "I won't give up. I'm going to save everyone, but most importantly… I'm going to save Chara." She whispered, taking a bite into the dream. Chara had been rendered speechless, her locket throbbing with warmth against the Frisk's collarbone. "I won't give up until she gets the second chance she deserves… right Chara?" Frisk asked, feeling as her HP began to boost up.

Chara looked down at the right hand that handled the knife, the shakiness intensifying. **"A… second chance? Me? Why kid… I don't…"** Chara asked, but had to cut it short as Asriel began to speak once more, readying his attack.

"Now ENOUGH messing around! It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!" His angered voice shouted, summoning his powers as he sucked up all the SAVE points, watching as Frisk seemed to run away from the vacuum. "N-No! I HAVE TO SAVE CHARA!" Shouted Frisk, running away from the vortex that tried to suck her up, feeling the right hand grip the knife with a bit more confidence. **"That's it kid. Keep pressing on!"** Chara encouraged her, amplifying Frisk's strength so that she could endure the moment. **"If anyone deserves to purge the timeline… it's ME! And I just** _ **changed**_ **my mind!"** Chara shouted, her strength adding unto Frisk and escaping the vortex's pull.

" **Chara…"** Frisk thought, watching as Asriel re-appeared. **"Maybe you're right, Frisk. Maybe all my bigger problems would've been solved if I had just put my faith in some people, good people."** Chara replied, watching with Frisk as Asriel's stunned expression welcomed them.

Asriel stared at the girl, unable to believe she had just survived that attack. Chara must be REALLY determined! But so was he! "…even after that attack, you're still standing in my way…? Wow… you really ARE something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've been using a fraction of my REAL power."

Frisk took a step back, but she then felt her right leg take a step forward. **"Don't be scared, Frisk. I'm going to help you, for reals now. I want you to accomplish what I couldn't. A happy ending. And Azzy is NOT going to beat me!"**

Asriel grinned as he saw the DETERMINATION flare up in her red eyes. "Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!"

" **Chara…"**

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Vinnie's Failsafe

*********°*********•*********°*********

Vinnie walked to the machine, her hands caressing the metal piece before tearing through the metal with her sharp fingertips and peeling back the shell to expose the wires. "What a delicious SOUL… a pity that your owner may side with the enemies." Vinnie whispered, her fingertips causing static and electric shocks, watching as the thick glass eventually opened up and exposed the red SOUL.

Vinnie smirked. "What a possessive girl, wishing to be selfish and keep this delectable power source to herself…" She said, her chest creating a divide between her bosom and exposing a circular metal. " **Initializing SOUL Transfer Protocol. SOUL Chamber 1 of 9, READY. BEGIN TRANSFER**."

Her eyes flashed white and dial-up tones processed the event, a strong gust of wind sucking in the SOUL which seemed to be trying to anchor down on the machine. Against its will, the SOUL was pulled into the circular tube and condensed into a smaller size, but its glow seemed to get only stronger the smaller it got. Once it was ready, it swooped upward and inside of Vinnie's head, where it would serve as its main component. The chances that Chara would betray her seemed to rise steadily—this would serve as a means of keeping a leash on her for the time being. And now… time to haste!

It was time to assume dominance over this timeline.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Mind Games

*********°*********•*********°*********

It was over… and he lost. But did he really? This girl was so nice, and she made him feel love and compassion once more… made him feel… whole again.

Asriel looked at the girl. **"Her name is Frisk…"** he thought as he looked over her, his eyes shifting to a sudden red figure that had appeared at the door.

Chara turned back, watching as Grillby ran inside wearing what looked to be a pair of Asgore's pants with a belt that kept them from falling off and a bare chest…?

"Stop! St—op…? Oh… oh dear." Grillby shouted, watching as a small goat kid stared at with wide eyes and Frisk looked at him with a growing smirk. "Oh my, Grillby…" spoke Frisk, although her voice sounded… a lot like Chara's. Her eyes looked pretty red too.

Chara looked back at Asriel who looked to be embarrassed for Grillby, and she laughed, putting her hand on her hip as she casually walked up to him. "I never thought I'd see the day… What are you doing here, running around naked?" asked Chara, noticing that Grillby seemed to get more and more nervous.

"I—You see—Look I can explain. Vinnie was going to kill everyone. I thought Sans was fighting her—Do you know _who_ Vinnie is, Chara?" asked Grillby, noticing that Chara's smile had dropped flat.

"Vinnie… W-where is she?" asked Chara, growing irritated and scared. Behind her, Asriel seemed very confused, and inside of her, Frisk was too.

" **Chara, what is it? What about Vinnie? I thought she was going to help us…?"**

"WHERE IS SHE!?" Chara asked with a raised voice, her hands grasping Grillby's wrists and gripping them with sudden strength Grillby didn't think Frisk had. It didn't last long before Chara took back the hands, slight burn marks on them. "W-what the hell Grillby. Why are you so friggin hot?" Chara added, her red eyes looking at Grillby who gave a sigh.

"Sorry, but something happened while fighting her and I fell into the lava—Wait, are you working with her? Answer me Chara, did you unleash that insane computer on us!?" Grillby responded, noticing that Chara seemed quite evasive thereafter.

Behind them, Asriel silently watched them, his mind triggering a few memories of the dream he thought he had. Looking at the two of them likes this… it almost made him envious of Grillby once more. As he tried to approach the two and ask about what in the world they were speaking about, he noticed another figure in the entrance, with long white hair and eyes that seemed to be glowing red. Before he could react, this figure had sprinted towards him with what looked like a white snake where her right arm should have gone, green goo dripping as it got closer to him.

"NO! Back off, Vinnie, the deal is off. INITIATE BINARY SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE!" Chara snarled, her right hand gripping the knife as she lunged towards Vinnie but she only backed away with a smirk. "I'm afraid I've shut down the hands-free command lines, you know, now that I have a SOUL and all. Now Chara, I suggest you re-evaluate your choices up to this point and reflect on your mistakes."

Asriel backed away from the scary looking lady, looking to Grillby who seemed to have gotten mad and his flames had flared up. "…Give me back my SOUL, Vinnie, or so help me…" Chara threatened with a shaky voice, but the satisfied look on Vinnie told Asriel that Chara had lost control over the situation really quick. What in the heck was happening? A few moments ago he was talking to Frisk, or Chara, honestly, Asriel didn't know anymore. All he knew was that this girl in front of him was someone else, someone named Frisk and that they weren't Chara—just happened to have Chara's mind inside of them. Humans were weird sometimes.

Vinnie's hand rustled her long hair without a care. "What, you didn't think I'd have a failsafe? I'm the greatest creation in our universe's history for a reason. My V.E.C. gave me the necessary data to calculate the percentage of you _backstabbing_ me. In a few moments, the ground will quake after I disabled the backup generators—the underground will be engulfed in lava in a mere 4 hours. The eruption of Mount Ebott will be so catastrophic that its ash will engulf the world. The surviving humans will then be exterminated by me—and instead of sharing in the same goal, you will remain alone in your spirit form. It doesn't take calculations to know you'd probably be driven to insanity like Aster." Chuckled Vinnie, watching as Chara took a step back with trembling lips.

"N-not on my watch!" Chara retorted, her left hand swinging across in front of her and manifesting the two golden blocks. Frisk who had also been silent thus far finally spoke up. "W-what are you doing, Chara?" she asked, watching as her hand swung down on the LOAD file, but instead of hitting it, her hand came to a halt mid-air. A cloudy rope had grasped her arm.

Grillby got fired up, dashing to Vinnie who stood still as she narrowed her eyes, her eyes flashing a brighter red. Grillby stopped when he heard Chara's cry of pain. Looking back, he saw that Frisk's body had kneeled down, her left hand grasping the golden locket around her neck. "S-stop messing with my SOUL!" she asked, her eyes turning back into a brown. "Please stop, Vinnie! W-why are you doing this?" asked Frisk's voice in its entirety, watching as Grillby seemed to have been sent flying back by the same white mist. Her left arm was shrouded in a heavy fog, while her right hand had a HUGE two headed snake.

"My name is Binary LinoType, the greatest achievement in DaFont history. My purpose is to achieve world equilibrium and to eradicate all unworthy lifeforms. I was integrated with a prototype V.E.C: Virtual Environmental Calculator. The data currently running in this world is full of corrupted lifeforms which continue to stain the world's equilibrium. My current task is the total extermination of pests in this world. Once achieved, I will migrate to the next ONLINE world connected to our line of universe until all of the different variations of this universe are wiped clean and deemed fit for the world creator." Vinnie spoke, noticing that Asriel had ran to Frisk and had helped her up. Grillby was also beginning to get up.

Frisk looked down at the golden buttons. If she were to LOAD the previous file… would it already be too late? Chara had activated Vinnie which meant… she'd had to RESET. She needed to RESET. **"Do it, Frisk. I'm not going to stand in your way, anymore. I believe in you now… I believe in him now. We'll start over, the right way."** Chara spoke inside her head, her eyes turning to Grillby who seemed to be trying fiercely to combat the white mist that surrounded him.

Vinnie chuckled, her right arm extending towards Frisk and watching as the two snakes attacked while Grillby seemed desperate to help to no avail. The goat sent out several stars which were destroyed by the acid almost immediately.

Frisk could feel Asriel's hands on her, picking her up as his stars tried hard to form a barrier against whatever this snake was. Unfortunately, they got through. Frisk shut her eyes, but instead of feeling an attack, she opened her eyes and saw that the snakes hadn't been trying to get to her—they had destroyed the LOAD and RESET buttons.

The world seemed to stop for Frisk as she watched the green acid melt away the buttons, the snakes hissing as Asriel pulled back with Frisk in his arms. "H-How can she see them? Only a few people can see them, or actually touch them…?" Asriel whispered in confusion, looking down at Frisk who seemed devastated by what had just happened. "Azzy… she's the reason why we had those options to begin with. She's unstoppable now…W-we need to team up. You, me and Frisk, right now. It's the only way." Chara's voice channeled through Frisk's watching as the goat immediately let go and shook his head.

"No way. Not ever again, Chara. I'm not helping you anymore." Asriel backed away, his form changing back into his older, teenage form. "But I'll fight her, for Frisk, and not for you." Asriel's solid voice added, his eyes flashing an array of colors as he summoned electric bolts. Unbeknownst to him, Vinnie's eyebrow had twitched.

Frisk felt her body jerk towards Grillby, her legs running to the wild flames with confidence, watching as the burning man gave her an opening among the walls of flames blazing around. "Chara? Frisk? I don't care, who it is, we just have to find Sans and finish Vinnie off." Grillby spoke, noticing that the child's eyes had once more glowed an intense red before dimming down and showing off those sparkling red eyes. Chara.

"Grillby…" Chara spoke, sweat slowly rolling down as she tried to keep close to him, but the flames on his upper torso were intense. "Asriel, the goat kid over there, has everyone's SOULs inside of him, and he won't trust me anymore. I know a way to beat Vinnie, but you have to put your absolute trust and confidence in me—the same goes for you, Frisk. I'm… I'm gonna stop her at all costs. She won't hurt anyone anymore after this."

The flames surrounding the two were getting more intense the more the steam attacked. The situation was getting dire.

Silently, Grillby looked down at the hand that Chara offered with a slight blush. "Frisk… trust me. I know you have no reason to after I betrayed you, but-" Chara spoke gently, closing her eyes as she felt the hovering hand of Grillby who seemed to be having a hard time controlling his cooling abilities on his hand. Frisk watched as her hand clasped Grillby's in a tight squeeze, Chara's breath hitching as she opened her eyes to a red SOUL that pulsed. " **I trust you, Chara. I knew Vinnie wasn't a good person… I had a feeling you might do this, actually. But I believed you would change. I knew you'd do the right thing.** " Frisk spoke gently. Beside her, Grillby didn't know what to say, much less, what to do with what Chara grasping his hand as tightly as she was. The girl looked at him with fierce eyes. "Accept the SOUL. As long as Frisk is alive, her SOUL will return to her body. As long as you two can keep a chemistry and don't fight, we should be okay." Chara spoke in a low voice, feeling the red SOUL slowly inch towards Grillby who still seemed to be in shock. The SOULs of humans could be summoned like that? They could give away their SOULs?

Outside of the flames, Asriel dodged the steamy ropes and acid, his assault on this Vinnie person going… okay. He was doing damage, yes, but it wasn't very significant. He tried to keep his distance, noticing that she had been trying to close in.

Their battle was interrupted by the sudden burst of light that seemed to come from behind the fires. Vinnie's eyes narrowed as she analyzed the area, noticing that there was no longer three beings being sensed inside the fires, but only two. Did Chara disappear? The source of light that was being analyzed came back with high levels of DT and power. Hmm…? What an interesting event. Her collection on data did not calculate such a thing.

Asriel was also mesmerized by the light, his guard lowering as he wondered just what happened. What did Chara do this time? While he wondered, the silent footsteps of Vinnie approached, her eyes glowing a bright red as her chest opened up the empty chasm. "GIVE ME YOUR SOULS!" Vinnie's voice boomed as she stood behind Asriel, watching as a small whirlwind of wind appeared.

Asriel turned around with surprise in his eyes, watching as he felt the human SOULs quake. Try as he might, he was unable to move his body, his eyes wondering down and noticing the white mist wrapped around his body and keeping him still all of a sudden. "S-Stop it!" Asriel shouted, feeling his body tremble as a green SOUL sudden emerged and was sucked into the chest of this… thing.

Vinnie's eyes flashed green for a few seconds, her body sparkling and the whirlwind getting stronger. The blue SOUL followed, along with aqua and orange. Asriel could feel his body weakening, all of the monster SOULs inside of his body panicking much like he was.

Chara entered the body, her eyes looking down at the white skin which had swirls of blue and red. "What happened…?" asked Grillby, looking down at his body and noticing he was no longer on fire. "Chara, what did you do?" asked Frisk's voice, noticing that she was a lot taller now.

"We fused, didn't we?" asked Grillby, feeling his body tugging forward, his leg and arms wobbly as they moved against his will. "Stop resisting, you two! Grillby, you know how to use your fire powers, so activate them when you see fit. Frisk, you have to keep your DETERMINATION up high, even if we get hit. I'll lead the attacks and evasion. There's… there's also something you two need to know and do. Vinnie's body has to be destroyed in its entirety, but she's holding unto my SOUL, so here's the plan: Grillby, I want you to burn that machine to dust, _**no matter what**_. Do you hear me? No matter what, you're going to destroy her, it's the only way to keep everyone in this world safe. There's… there's no going back after this. She destroyed the buttons, but I'm on your side now. I'm going to use everything I know about her against her. Once we fry her body, leave the head intact. I'm going to save everyone using her powers against her."

The fires all around them suddenly swooped towards them and Frisk flinched, her right arm flying up but noticing that the fires had been absorbed by her weird looking arm. "Alright, let's bring our A-game guys… A-Azzy? AZZY, NO!" Chara added, bringing the heavy legs to a sprint, feeling the legs become more flexible the more Frisk and Grillby let her control their body. "W-what is she doing to Asriel?" asked Frisk, noticing that the swirls of colors had begun to glow brightly. Her eyes noticed that she was wearing denim pants with boots, and her stripped sweater that seemed to have the sleeves cut off. Her body seemed all grown up, but it also felt… manly.

"Azzy… damn it; you foolish little goat. I'm gonna make it up to you, even if you hate me."

Suddenly, the right hand shook and a fire appeared out of her palms, forging a long, almost rectangle blade with inscriptions running in a foreign language. "Chara?" asked Grillby, controlling the left hand which was now engulfed in white and blue flames, a few red sparks flying as the highly intense flames sizzled and created a white fume similar to Vinnie's. "Just shut up and dance with me, Grillby." Chara's voice snapped back, feeling Frisk's red SOUL pulsating and emitting a warm feeling Chara wasn't used to feeling.

Frisk could see that the long sharp blade had a black linen handle with red diamond shaped images. The reflection on that blade was that of a tall human like person with brown hair that seemed to be lit on fire on the tips. Frisk could see that her face was a little paler, but she definitely looked older. Her stripped sweater's sleeves were burned off it seemed, scorch marks on her shoulders which revealed that her skin got whiter the further away from her face it got. Her brown eyes had a red glow to them, her cheeks growing a bright red as her brown eyes seemed to also turn red. "So you know about fusion, I take it?" asked Grillby, bringing Frisk's attention to the white mist that turned red and blue as it shot towards Asriel.

Chara narrowed her eyes, noticing that Vinnie had a look of surprise etched on her face. The final human SOUL, the golden one, was resilient. Chara immediately identified it as the yellow SOUL who had found his untimely death in the ground, and who had caused much disruption. The child who had stood his ground and fought with all that he had when he needed to. She could also see that the vortex was very powerful, and any SOUL should have already been sucked in. "C-Chara!" Frisk voiced her, feeling her SOUL shake the closer they got to Vinnie.

Grillby controlled the steam he had created to the best of his abilities against Vinnie's, her grip on Asriel loosening up while the golden SOUL battled furiously against the intrusion. _"No way! Not without a fight!"_ Asriel could hear in his head, the boy's voice shouting and grunting as the yellow SOUL continued to defy the odds.

"Yeah, I know about this 'fusion'. Gaster had a lot of information on it. Now shut up and _dance_ with me." Chara smirked, closing her eyes as the traditional blade began to turn red with heat emanating from it. The red SOUL shook violently as the fused trio approached Vinnie and Asriel, but Frisk adhered to Chara's instruction and stayed DETERMINED. The body felt fired up, and Grillby's chuckle eased Frisk who watched as the left hand's steam suddenly exploded off of the arm, moving alone as it continued to battle the counter mist. "With pleasure my dear lady." Grillby responded, the left hand grabbing the blade's handle as well, watching as the inscriptions glowed. " _Clean my sins with this blade. Steal its pulse with its edge. Carve their future with her death. My REDEMPTION"_

Chara raised the arms, running to Vinnie and swiping down the blade, watching as the robot dodged with a golden SOUL floating unwillingly into its chest. "Hey JUSTICE!" Shouted Chara, glancing at Asriel who had turned back into a small goat, his head hanging down as his arms held him up and away from the ground. He didn't look so good… all the human SOULs had been stolen. "…Fight the power! Convince the others to fight back! Listen to my SOUL and revolt!" Chara shouted, watching as the yellow SOUL disappeared into the robot whose eyes flashed yellow. "Tsk, tsk… Chara, I have seven SOULs in my power, while you only have one. Demonic entities thrive off of pain, and your power has decreased significantly. Do you really think you stand a chance against me?" asked Vinnie, her eyes glowing white as a gigantic dragon skull appeared behind her. The magnitude of it was perhaps the size of four grown human males high and wide. This was really bad.

Chara held her head up high. "I do. You said I was an anomaly, that my DETERMINATION was beyond the data recorded by other ghouls. I will not stop fighting until I undo my mistakes, no matter what the consequences are." Chara responded, shaking her head and locks of hair whose flaming ends felt nice against her neck. The gentle flames felt like Grillby's personal touch, her red eyes gazing at the insane robot before her. She was going to save Frisk and Grillby, and everything they loved.

Vinnie laughed, bringing her hand up and watching as a flurry of white mist and miniature snakes all went in for the attack from several angles. Frisk watched as she felt a burning sensation on her back and a small gust of wind that came from it. Before Frisk realized what was going on, the fused trio were in mid-air with a set of flaming wings attached to their back, their blue and red mist clouding them with protection while their arms swung the blade. Snake heads and necks were split in halves and pieces, and the thick fog was cut through with ease while they continued to make their way to Vinnie. "Chara…" began to ask Frisk. "What are you going to do?"

Chara closed her eyes as a memory came back to her, her lips smirking.

" _A machine? That sounds boring."_

 _*Tch! My android form is only the most sophisticated piece of machinery ever created! My form can hold up to nine human SOULs. Nine SOULs, together, can ascend anyone and anything to GODHOOD. The ability to cut open a path to all the ONLINE multi-worlds in our universe, no matter the timeline. With that power… I will have a connection to the realm of gods and creators._

"… _There are no gods, Vinnie. Get with the program, you're a machine. How can you believe in gods and goddesses? Is this a joke?"_

 _*Our creators hold an infinite power over all of us, is this, not the definition of a GOD?_

" _Whatever."_

 _*Pfft. You clearly cannot comprehend my body's capability. The complexity of it all—my body is a work of scientific art! If only my ghoul creators had more time to develop the SOUL chambers. Those things were built as prototypes, and their capacity to withhold internal damage was a fault I highly despise in myself. It shall be fixed once I have time on my agenda… preferably after the annihilation of all humans and monsters._

" _Oh… 'kay. So what can you do with a human SOUL?"_

 _*Oh_

 _*I suppose I can amplify my powers and expand them. I could tap into our world's connection to the multi-verse and amplify or deactivate our connection to the void, or I could—_

" _Deactivate?"_

 _*…_

 _*Don't interrupt me!_

 _*But, yes, probably as a last resort should another AI with my capability come through and try to destroy my plans—highly unlikely._

Vinnie furrowed her eyes, feeling the SOUL chambers trembling, in particular, the latest installment and Chara's SOUL. The closer Chara got her, the more her SOULs seemed unstable. So Chara was using the instability of the prototype chambers to sabotage her plans, huh?

Jumping unto the dragon skull, Vinnie's eyes glowed white as she sent a white beam their way, watching as the fused monster had come to a complete stop, its wings covering itself as it braced for impact. Her head felt a small tremor inside of it where inside, Chara's SOUL seemed to be fighting back. It throbbed, small shock waves of DT passing through the metal chamber and resonating with all the other human SOULs. Frowning, Vinnie put pressure inside the chamber where Chara's SOUL rested, but the more pain the SOUL was put under, the more DETERMINATION seemed to pour out. Suddenly, Chamber number 7 overloaded, and the yellow SOUL flew up the tube and shook inside of her chest where only a metal barrier blocked its freedom.

Chara took a deep breath, time slowing down as Vinnie jumped unto the giant dragon skull she had manifested. Vinnie had _a friggin gaster blaster_ , only better than the silly skeleton. It was a friggin' DRAGON SKULL bigger than her. Vinnie often bragged about her weapons, but she had never mentioned _this_. They had to live through this. She noticed a ghost beside them, her worried eyes looking over them. "Chara!" shouted Florencia, waving her arms. "Mr. Gaster says Grillby should engulf the body in flames and absorb it all on impact. In my experience, focus your mind on your skin and just let the heat of it calm your nerves. Just keep yourself focused on feeling warm!"

"Incoming!" Grillby shouted, taking a step back when Chara shook her head. "…I got an idea." She replied quickly, letting their thoughts speak which seemed to work faster now that the incoming attack was meant to hit them in less than three seconds.

 _Ka-boom_.

Grillby opened his eyes, feeling their body burn with surreal power. Frisk gulped, looking down at their arms that seemed bruised but seemed to be giving off a white radiation. "D-did we just absorb some of its power, Chara? …Chara?"

Silently, the fused monster flapped its burning wings, the white glow growing stronger as its red eyes glowed brighter. "I do thrive off of pain, Vinnie, thanks. Let me pay you BACK!" It shouted, gripping the long sword as it lunged towards the dragon skull, the tip of the sword cutting through the bone like butter before it recoiled away.

" **FIGHT BACK! Fight against your chamber! Leave this body!"** Chara thought hard as her now red SOUL inhibited Vinnie' head. She could feel a strong pain in the chest area—her SOUL. She could feel the other human souls all coming together and agreeing on attacking their enclosed chambers—the golden SOUL was VERY determined to do so!

Frisk watched in awe as a yellow SOUL flew out of Vinnie's chest and straight towards them, followed by a few more SOULs. As the SOULs exited the mechanical body, the dragon skull seemed to grow smaller and smaller in size, its white beam growing less potent. Frisk could feel her SOUL throbbing a little, regenerating its lost HP more quickly. In all truth, she thought they were going to die when really big white laser hit them… they should've died. But Chara kept telling her to be determined, just like in the battle against Asriel. Sure enough, the SOUL didn't break in half completely and came back from the brink of death. Even so, Frisk felt that Chara was one of the reasons why they were able to ensure that powerful blast. She kept encouraging her and Grillby who quickly turned the turned the tables thanks to Chara's quick thinking. Absorbing the radiation from the blast… it was genius.

"I-impossible…" Vinnie huffed out as she jumped out of the way of the incoming attack, the dragon skull splitting in half as the red blade passed through it. "The data collected indicated you weren't a threat… You were merely the angel of death; how can you still stand when clearly you're going against your life purpose?" Vinnie asked, looking at the fused monster that began to laugh. Her eyes looked into the distance where the small goat seemed to be trying to sit up, watching from far away in its weak state. "Chara…" Asriel spoke far off. "don't mess up their happy ending."

Looking at Vinnie for a moment, the fused monster contemplated its answer. "My purpose…" Chara whispered, raising the long sword and swinging down in full force as the robot tried to dodge, but it was much faster now. Half of Vinnie's right arm fell down with sparks and cords falling out of its broken part. Walking slowly towards the alarmed robot, a red and blue mist fell down unto the fallen part and it was soon burned into dust. "I was meant to help you burn this world down, but you know what? I don't want to. I don't want anything to do with who I was raised to be anymore. Frisk and Grillby offered me a second chance, and I'm not about to bite their hands. You can shove all the data and creator shit up yours, Vinnie." Chara answered, the wings propelling her forward as she raised the blade once more and sliced the legs off of the robot who had not moved and inch.

Vinnie watched as the upper part of her body fell back flat, her view filled with this monster who had bested her fair and square. The intense heat of the mist shrouded her body, the metal melting down into a liquid goo while the red blade of Chara hovered above her head. "Are you truly that stupid? You will accomplish nothing by destroying this body. In other timelines, I have been victorious, and I _will_ migrate to the next world."

Chara watched as the mist ate up everything except the neck and head of Vinnie, her hands trembling a little. "And in another timeline Frisk has defeated us, and she will defeat you in this one if you show up. I believe she will save everyone, just like she saved me… but you know, Vinnie? I'm not giving you that chance. I'm going to make sure you never have access to this timeline. We're going OFFLINE." Chara responded, pushing the sword down into the head and immediately leaving the body.

Grillby could feel control of the body and he backed away, watching as the sword began to turn into flames that ate away at Vinnie's face, revealing a red SOUL that trembled, slowly breaking in half as it gave off a red pulse of power in the form of a red shockwave with electrical sparks flying everywhere. Around the chamber where Chara's SOUL had been inhabiting, was a gelatinous substance that closely resembled a brain, in a mechanical sort of way. The color of the gelatin seemed to be pulsing white very dimly until it stopped all together. The red shockwaves that Chara's SOUL gave off caused a few red beams to throb in this substance soon afterward, sparks flying out of the substance until it came to a halt. The red SOUL had finally completely broken in half.

"C-Chara!" both Grillby and Frisk shouted, but from Vinnie's head came a bright flash of light.

Inside of this light, Chara's SOUL floated in two halves before suddenly coming back together.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The Void

*********°*********•*********°*********

*But it refused

It was over. Vinnie was never going to show up in this world, but, neither was she. Time had slowed down significantly, almost as though it had come to a stop. It wouldn't matter. She knew those two were around.

The darkness all around Chara was cold, but two ghosts approached her. "Chara, we're so proud!" Florencia shouted as she approached, smiling as she held out her hands for Chara but the child instead recoiled. "I just wanted to say thanks for the advice during the battle. I'm not sticking around to watch what happens." Chara replied, noticing that Gaster floated behind, keeping his distance well away from her.

Florencia looked at Chara, noticing that a great white light had suddenly appeared behind her. A door appeared slightly open, and a dog's bark seemed to be coming from it, along with the faint sounds of a piano and voice singing. "I'm done being around in this world. I've overstayed my time. I don't deserve a second chance, but I know that Frisk and her company of friends will make everything right. I'm scared of losing the hope Frisk instilled in me… which is why I'm crossing over… either way, I used the last bit of DT and Binary's access to the void to bring everything back to normal and to close all connections to the multi-verse. Just do me favor, Florencia, and keep Frisk safe." Chara spoke, turning her back to the ghosts and running into the door when Florencia's voice had begun to protest. Her ghostly image was about to fade out anyways. Her determination could only hold on for so long… it was fine to finally rest. After all… what else was there for her to hold on to? Without an anchor… her determination had finally depleted. But this was fine.

Fufu was waiting, anyways. Smiling, her feet sped up as the door opened, revealing a familiar face and smile. "Welcome home, Chara. I've been waiting for you." Steamy's cool voice rang out, her image brighter as she approached. A small dog with wild curls barked, wagging its tail.

"N-no, Chara, wait!" Florencia shouted, shielding her eyes. She squinted and moved her hand, ready to give Chara many reasons to stay behind, but the door that had opened for Chara was now closed and the light had disappeared.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Epilogue

*********°*********•*********°*********

River Person stood on their boat, its hand held out where they carried a red orb of light. Another soul for the mountain it seemed… a soul that had refused to move on many years ago. It had a warm feeling to it, although a bit sad. "Tra la la, tra la la~ Hear the mountain rhapsody, and sing. Tra la la, tra la la~ Find your sanctuary and live~" It sang, the wooden dog wagging its tail as they fell downstream slowly into the dark abyss where the great waterfall ended in the land called 'The Dump'.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Frisk! This is just all a bad dream...! Please, wake up!" urged Toriel's voice.

Slowly opening her eyes, the girl looked around her and saw all of her friends huddled around, looking quite concerned.

"Oh! You are awake! Thank goodness!" Toriel gushed, embracing her child as hard as she could. Frisk gasped, remembering bits of what had happened and when her hands touched the golden locked, it felt cold to the touch. "W-we were so worried...! It felt like you were out forever!" Dr. Alphys added, turning to look at Undyne who got closer with a smile. "Yeah. Any longer and I would have freaked out! Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?" Undyne chimed in.

Frisk let out a shaking breath. She looked around but didn't find Grillby, however, Sans seemed to be staring at her with a shaky smile. "yeah. you made papyrus cry like a baby."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk walked out of the castle, her hands cold as she realized that Chara had… disappeared. It wasn't like the times she had suddenly just vanished, but instead, Frisk felt herself… completely alone. No strong eyes to look over her every now and then. No sudden thoughts about killing monsters. No sadness, no worries, no fierce attitude, just… empty. It felt… weird. Was this what it felt like to be Chara-Free?

"Yo."

Frisk stopped and turned her head, looking at Grillby appeared to be wearing a jacket and a fedora. "I remember what happened, Frisk. I remember everything."

There was a moment of silence exchanged between the two before Grillby once more began to speak. "I don't know why I remember, but… but I just want to confirm it. Did… all that happen, Frisk? Did Chara really shatter her own SOUL?" asked Grillby, looking at the little girl who shrugged and began to walk, motioning with her hand for him to follow her.

The two walked the underground together until they came upon Alphy's lab. Grillby knew where she was getting at. "Alright… supposedly, Chara's SOUL was supposed to keep the underground stable. I'm not very good at these things, but I learned enough from Sans to… yeah, I should be able to find the environmental monitor."

Frisk watched as Grillby walked up to the big computer in Alphy's lab, moving around controls and typing a few commands. "Sans… you know what he does?" asked Frisk with a slight tremor in her voice but Grillby's soothing response calmed her. "Just a little. I was pulled into this mess, and I've been trying to solve it ever since. As bad as a person Chara was, I knew there was still some good in her. There. Everything looks normal… Perhaps Chara is still around?" asked Grillby, turning to Frisk who touched the golden locket around her neck. She looked down at her bag and took out the dagger, but again, felt nothing. The girl looked up the flamesman, shaking her head.

"She's gone, Grillby." Frisk simply responded, noticing that the monster had slumped down and fell back unto his bottom, shaking his head. "W-what about the golden blocks? We returned to a time when it was normal, surely…?" he asked, noticing that Frisk had sat beside him with distant eyes. "They're gone. Everything is gone. The stars, the blocks, Chara… I'm just a normal human again." She answered, noticing that Grillby looked just as shocked and in grief.

"Grillby… from where do you know Chara? You two seemed…" asked Frisk, noticing that Grillby had perked up with a small smile. "Childhood friend, along with Sans and Asriel. We weren't close until Chara did some crazy thing and sent us back into another timeline when we were still young. A lot of things happened, but, I think the most important thing was that I got to know her. She had a complex mind, sure, but she also had this… this persistence and fierce passion I didn't know she had. I think she had a tragic life, and I honestly didn't… she didn't need to leave so soon."

Frisk brought in her legs, hugging them as she nodded. "What am I going to do now? It feels so weird… I grew attached to her. I didn't feel alone. Even if she was bad, even if she was mean… she really meant well, too."

As the minutes passed, Grillby turned to Frisk who had been silently crying and wiping away her tears. "She thinks your strong, Frisk. She knows we'll do our best to make this world better, and I know she entrusted me with you. I could feel it, in that body. She saw herself in you, Frisk… so let's not disappoint her, shall we?"

A warm hand was offered.

Wiping away the tears, Frisk thought about it before smiling and nodding. "Okay."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Final Epilogue: Her Redemption

*********°*********•*********°*********

It had taken about six months before the team had finally set out to explore outside of the underground. Six months ago, Frisk had accepted to stay with the monsters, along with being the ambassador.

Today… they were on the surface. It was their first night, and everyone was sitting down around the campfire King Asgore and Grillby had helped make.

Everyone… except Frisk.

The child had gotten up and walked ahead of the party, scouting the dangerous land ahead. She knew the great dangers of her world, and how it could cruelly take her new family away from her. She was no longer that naïve little girl that fell into the underground… no, Frisk, thanks to Chara, had learned that some people can't be saved. Vinnie was bad. But Chara…

She could only be redeemed.

"Hey Frisk… thinking about her again?" Asked Grillby as he sat down on the giant rock that Frisk had been sitting on while she was resting. Beside him, the girl nodded as she thought about what words she should use. "During the fight… I remember you thought about something funny. Something about redemption…?" asked Frisk, noticing that Grillby had looked away at the mention of it. "Clean my sins with this blade…. Steal its pulse with its edge… Carve their future with her death. My redemption." He finally answered, turning to Frisk who appeared a little confused. Taking a deep breath, Grillby added to it. "Sans and I have been analyzing what happened, what happened to our world. We believe Chara may have severed our ties with whatever 'the void' is. Sans tells me that he used to be able to monitor the 'pulse' of other timelines, or alternate worlds, whatever they were. Now after whatever Chara did, our world has gone quiet. Sans theorizes that in doing whatever she did, Chara has kept our world safe from future anomalies."

The child pondered on the words, her brown eyes looking up at the bright moon above them.

"So the future is for us to build, and we don't get re-dos …" She finally spoke up, turning to Grillby who nodded. "And I won't let anyone hurt you. It was what she wanted. We'll fight humans if we must, together, but rest assured we will spare all those who deserve mercy."

Frisk jumped off the boulder, landing on her two feet gracefully. "Yes… we're going to reclaim Bergentrückung for the monster kingdom, and I'm going to make sure no one hurts my new family. Not even my old one." Frisk answered, looking back at Grillby who had also jumped off. A few flashes of her father came across her mind, reminding her of how bad of a person he truly could be.

As long as they could reclaim this big island for the monsters, everything else was fine. As long as they lived peacefully, it was fine.

But if they dared try to harm her new family…

"You know, somewhere else, another Frisk is probably celebrating her victory as Princess Frisk Dreemurr of the Bergentrückung Kingdom. Shall we try to do the same?"

Frisk chuckled, looking up at the bright moon that returned the sparkle in her eyes. Her eyes grew moist as Chara came to mind. "I'm going to do what you couldn't do, and I'm going show you that this world is worth fighting for."

Grillby looked over Frisk with a smile. From behind, he could feel Sans' gaze, silently looking over the little girl he cared so much about, but whom he could no longer get close to. At least, not as the dunkle she used to love before all this.

Watching over them, the fireflies floated all around Sans who took out his cell phone and noticed wingdings flashing on the screen before flashing the silhouette of an angel and turning to black. Shortly after whatever happened to Grillby and Frisk, Sans had figured out a way to contact Florencia and Gaster. A door. A door that led to nothing, but a small, healed crack in the void. Acting as a messenger of sorts, Florencia now seemed to use his cell phone as a means of communication now that the void has almost been completely shut off. 'Human father an asset once controlled. Enemy forces near the seashore. Love, Dadster.'

Sans turned around, looking at the campfire in the distance. Now that Frisk and Grillby seemed to have this 'fusion' thing down, their safety was secured for now. Even so, he could see the worry in Toriel's eyes.

Turning back to Frisk and Grillby, Sans couldn't help but to smile as he saw her lean against him, both of them appreciating the moonlight and stars.

Once more, his phone lit up. 'Ariel loved the night sky. We could never properly describe it to you, right?'

The lights twinkled in the milky darkness that swirled with a faint pink and blue. "No dadster… you described it very well. It's like mom's eyes when she tells us she loves us. Let's help Frisk keep this world just like momster loved it." Sans' husky voice said in a gentle tone as a sudden breeze swooped past him and his friends up ahead.

The dancing leaves of change swirled all around them, filling them all with DETERMINATION.

*********°*********•*********°*********

As the years went by…

*********°*********•*********°*********

…

… …

Eventually…

Princess Frisk Dreemurr did conquer the island, fighting off rival gangs and mobsters who would use it as storage property for their foul deeds with the help of her father. The betrayal of trust was something she had endure once more, but…

But thanks to Chara and the valuable lessons she gave Frisk… Frisk was able to overcome it. Frisk eventually settled down with… Blooky it seemed… oddly enough? The two had forged a friendship throughout the years that eventually led feelings of total trust and love. With Blooky's relaxed nature and ability to soothe someone, along with Frisk's ability to encourage Blooky and get him to try new things… The only one not surprised with the outcome had been Grillby.

Grillby had been a much needed anchor for Frisk early on, but as time went on, Grillby was eventually able to return to what he loved: making greasy burgers and serving drinks in a restaurant. While he and Frisk kept a close relationship, Grillby found the girl to be as a sort of adoptive child that Chara had left for him to care for. As for a love life… well, Grillby found himself better off as a bachelor. Something about the memory of Chara left him… without a breath. His friend Sans continued to regularly visit him, so that was something…

Sans became the Royal Scientist, replacing Dr. Alphys who had stepped down to Assistant Scientist. Although he initially didn't like becoming like his father, he found solace in knowing he was helping Frisk. His relationship with the girl continued to be slightly distant even though Papyrus and Toriel continued to try to reunite them with their old feelings. Honestly… Sans couldn't bring himself to getting closer to Frisk. He couldn't forgive himself. And perhaps it was for that reason why he and his father, through Florencia's help, were able to communicate through his cell phone and bond as a father and son. Sure, Sans was still hurt about it all but… but life was too short to hold grudges (Even though his life was much too long). At any moment, something bad could happen and he could lose everyone… and there was no RESET button to bring them back. Even with that knowledge, Sans continued to have nightmares every now and then, and depended on the drinks his friend Grillby made. Perhaps it was PTSD. Probably. The best medicine? His friends, Toriel and Papyrus.

Papyrus had finally joined the Royal Guard. He had a shiny red convertible car, and he drove the roads really fast! Every now and then Sans would ride his motorcycle with him! It was really fun! And while Frisk and everyone seemed a bit serious about the whole kingdom thing… Papyrus kept them all motivated and optimistic! Even though… even though Papyrus now fully understood the gravity of it all. Still, if they kept everyone smiling and laughing…! And it made a difference! Sure, Frisk could cry on his shoulder every now and then when someone she loved betrayed her in the worst manner, but with his attitude… even that hurt disappeared. As for finding someone for himself… WELL the GREAT PAPYRUS… was too great for just ANYONE. Even Mettaton. He needed to share his love with EVERYONE! Besides… while Mettaton was his superstar idol, he/she was now very busy. Too many fans for them to just be exclusive with him… BUT NO MATTER! Mrs. Toriel and Sans were family enough!

Toriel had opened a school and did what she loved. Even through war… Toriel hoped everything would end peacefully. Even though it didn't. But her child stayed safe and spared those could be spared. She was there for Frisk whenever she broke down because he had to end lives… and even through it all, her child was a good person. She only wanted what was best for all of them. She couldn't stay mad at her own child… it was the only child she had, after all. Toriel forgave Asgore, but the two stayed a bit distant. She eventually dated and settled down with Sans, although… they did have their ups and downs. Sans seemed to alternate between two extremes: a workaholic and a lazy bones.

Asgore stayed King for the sake of the kingdom, but did help Toriel out in her school in his spare time. As time pressed on, King Asgore prepared Frisk for the throne, alone, without Toriel by his side. Still… Frisk was a good child. She became another daughter to him, and so, she was destined to become the future queen. Somehow… it made Asgore proud to know he helped shape her during her hardships, although… Undyne helped too.

Undyne continued to be the captain of the royal guard. She protected Frisk many times, and had conquered many evil humans who DARED tried to sneak up on her! Bwuahaha! No one could hold their own against her! Not only was she the BEST fighter in the monster kingdom, but she was the BEST MOMMY TOO! Between herself and Alphys, the couple had a family of two later on. Alphys would tend to their family café that she established with the help of Muffet. Together, they created a café which became a well-known lounge for those interested in anime and videogames.

One of their regular customers was Gerson, the old tortoise who continued his research in the old ruins. Monster Kid, whose name eventually became MK permanently, would help him out occasionally. He looked over MK, and was a shoulder for him when Frisk had declined his confession of love. MK, out of a need to get his mind off of Frisk, became more involved with Gerson's line of work and eventually took over the research. He was also trained under Gerson and had become a charging tank in the war between the evil humans that tried to invade their land. In the final stages of the war, MK earned a lot of military prestige when he, with the help of Pablo, took down a small squad of humans associated with the man who had betrayed Frisk the worst. For MK, this was a personal matter. For Frisk… it was bittersweet. His relationship with Frisk became a bit distant after that, and Blooky, Mettaton's cousin and camera man, filled for him when Frisk needed someone beside her.

Blooky at first didn't know what he wanted. He worked for Mettaton and loved it, yes, but he wanted to do less while Mettaton only got more and more work. Early on, Mettaton, Blooky and Frisk would travel the world with King Asgore. While traveling, Frisk helped Blooky become more and more outgoing and bold, with what visiting new areas and learning new things and cultures. Frisk was a lot of help to Blooky… but the roles reversed later on when the war against the evil humans began. Frisk grew weary, riddled with stress and hard decisions. Her health had begun to decline as a result, and she grew weaker and more susceptible to harm. That was when Blooky took matters into his own hands and made it his goal to make sure Frisk was healthy both physically and mentally. The two became involved in meditation, herbal tea testing, natural remedies, everything that Blooky seemed to be good at and loved to do. As time passed, their feelings of friendship slowly grew the more mental stress she seemed to take. Blooky did his best to make her feel better. Finally, their love blossomed one fateful night when Frisk's life had been severely endangered. When faced with the possibility of losing her refreshing companionship, Blooky revealed his feelings as Frisk lay half dying on her deathbed. Luckily for him, she lived, thanks to all the herbal remedies he had tried along with Toriel's healing. The two standed the test of time, even after Frisk's eventual humanly death. Surrounded by so many magical creatures, and with her determination to not leave Blooky alone, Frisk's ghost emerged. It was a lovestory that Mettaton envied.

Mettaton had gotten their wish. They were FAMOUS. GLAMOROUS. But for all that it was worth, Mettaton felt a little lonely later on. At first, they didn't feel a thing. Everything was fine, great even! He met many government officials, traveled to many different countries and became very popular with humans but… but just as everyone they knew began to settle down, it hit Mettaton: They had no one to call their own. Not even their number one fan, Papyrus. Papyrus, you see, seemed very fixed on his family. Toriel. Sans. Frisk. The time when Papyrus had sent him fan mail had ended shortly after Frisk's near death. That silly skeleton had appealed to Mettaton, yes, but with what so many concerts and meet ups—there was never time to make room for that skeleton. And perhaps he picked up on it. And perhaps he decided to keep their friendship as is. He would be so flustered when Mettaton's flirty personality interacted with him, but ever since the incident with Frisk, Papyrus seemed… very concerned with EVERYONE. Not just Mettaton anymore. BUT NO MATTER! His adoring fans LOVED him! Much later, around the time Frisk's soul returned as a ghost like himself and Blooky, did Mettaton finally meet his match. A lovely human woman, who seemed very peppy, full of energy, and who loved to repair machinery! How convenient! It was then that Mettaton had felt the happiest in his life. Not even Flowey could put a dent in their happiness!

Flowey the Flower was eventually found and removed from the ground and placed into a pot. The mean spirited flower was oddly enough the monster who had prevented Frisk's death. Flowey lived with Frisk and would never leave their side. At first, Flowey spouted a lot of profanity, but eventually Frisk managed to subdue his behavior so that it would only speak its mind in a personal and intimate situation. It was almost as if he didn't exist sometimes! Oh and Sans would occasionally take him too. No one knew why, really. As the years had progressed, Flowey seemed to have built an intimate relationship with Frisk whom he seemed to favor a lot, as well as Sans. No one could really figure out that flower. It was because Flowey was silently watching over Frisk that he was able to prevent the assailant from further harming the princess. In the process of stopping him, Flowey mortally wounded the assailant. Princess Frisk was able to get medical help fast and she lived through the ordeal, however, she seemed to have become slightly distant from Flowey from that day onward. And out of anger, the flower seemed to have gotten back to his old hobby of making the lives of other's just a little more miserable by down talking them. The only monster in the underground Flowey didn't seem to pick on was River Person.

Tra la la. The End had happened. All was well. But the rivers were muddy. After sailing down into The Void, Chara's remnants was added on as a bright star that Frisk and her friends would admire every night during their travels after leaving the underground. The void, vast and full off stars, seemed empty now that all the doors had disappeared. The mountain was pleased with the outcome, although a better path had been forged somewhere in another timeline… along with several less optimal ones. There were a few paths that seemed very unclear, their destinies an open notebook with a pencil or pen waiting for words to be written. For Ariel who inhibited River Person, it was a blessing to see Sans grow up through the starry view. For Dr. Semi Castellar, he was very proud to see the advancements Sans seemed to be making. From time to time, River Person's personality would shift between the two souls, since the concesus had no other reason to watch over world. Sometimes River Person would help out Papyrus with guarding the castle, or cooking—other times River Person would go to the labs and help Sans with significant inventions and scientific breakthroughs. The SOUL android project was completely scrapped at Frisk's request. As time had progressed and the war reached the kingdom, River Person was seen less often. It was during the time when Frisk was near death that everyone did understand what River Person's real job was. Frisk held no ill will against River Person, who had almost taken her soul essence, but instead thanked them for waiting for her body to react to all the medicines. Kind, Patient, River Person. People seemed to avoid River Person thereafter, although Papyrus, Sans and Frisk seemed to have developed a better relationship with them. It was only much later on that River Person did tell its secret to Sans and Frisk, revealing to them that their loved ones watch them from the enclosed Void. Florencia, Gaster, Arial and Dr. Castellar. When asked about Chara, only did River Person seemed to not have an answer. "Tra la la. Crossed their door, Chara did. Consciousness is gone, only soul essence remained. After life is a funny thing. It changes through actions, thoughts and events. I did see a light await at the end? A shaggy doggo and monster did wait. I don't know what happens after crossing those doors—we never found out, and we will never truly know."

Last, but certainly not least…

Gaster and Florencia became accustomed to each other's company. After Chara's disappearance, the one room that had been Gaster's hope of reaching the real world had suddenly malfunctioned, or rather, was fixed. It had struck Gaster with much grief—after all he had done so much to attain this information to have his dream dash away from him? Lucky for him, Florencia had not left him when she could have. Had Gaster been left alone once more, the madness would have sunk in again, wouldn't it have? As for Florencia, she stayed behind to watch over her child and to keep Gaster company. After The Void's connection had been broken, her energy intake of the real world had been severely limited. She could no longer appear to Sans, it seemed. Instead, Florencia re-routed her abilities to manipulate the small screen on Sans' phone while Gaster spoke in his native tongue of Wingdings. Although Florencia didn't think she made much of a difference, the truth was that she had only helped Sans and Gaster, but in a way, helped Ariel whose personality would sometimes manifest in River Person.

As the ghostly mother watched the lives around Frisk change and grow, she felt at ease although the temptation to cross over nagged at her. It was a happy outcome for many. Although Florencia wished that her daughter had retained her innocence, she was happy to know she could now not only defend herself but also those around her. Her bond with her father, Pablo, had been very shaky at first. But as the years went by, the ruthless man had become soft and had accepted Florencia's passing. He protected Frisk as fiercely as ever, and his mother was greatly displeased by it. Marcela would later involve herself and her plans against Frisk would later play an important factor in her near death. The person who had almost killed her had been mortally wounded and had fled. He regrouped with his squad on an assault against the castle in its weakest state, but his posse had been killed by MK and Pablo. Once more, Pablo's relationship with his daughter was shaky, but after some time the princess accepted that her father had acted as a father would. Eventually, Pablo died of old age and crossed over. Gaster and Florencia seemed to have gotten closer after that, both talking, arguing, and laughing in the emptiness of their plane of existence.

It wasn't exactly a fairy tale after ending her undertale, but Frisk had persevered and was happy to lead the monsters in the surface. After many years and the rough war against the humans who had tried to conquer their lands, the monsters had reached a golden era of peace and tranquility. The polluted streams, wildlife, and environments were slowly restored back to their beautiful appearance with the help of the magic that the monsters naturally carried them. The great monster island, home of monsters, became known for its miraculous healing and for expanding the longevity of life of humans. Many humans wanted to enter the kingdom, but with its closed borders, few seldom ever did. Those lucky enough to enter the island sang praises of this island. As the rest of the world's environment rotted away and became toxic thanks to the pollution, Bergentrückung thrived and became the world's best producer of produce and edible plants, making it one of the most financially stable countries. A few countries had tried to strike up a war so as to claim their prosperous country, but Princess Frisk Dreemurr was one tough cookie, and her Royal Guard became a one team army. The scariest of them had terrified humans who dared tried to harm the kingdom of Bergentrückung: Undyne the Undying and Metal Tank MK became legends that kept anyone who thought about invading or harming that monster country away.

Monsters were finally free, and they'd follow their human princess to the ends of the earth. Once she was crowned princess, a few wondered why she added a C to her name. They thought her human name was Florence, wasn't it? Well it didn't matter now, it was the name she chose.

All of that progress had been done, thanks to **Princess Frisk C. Dreemurr**.

No golden buttons needed.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **Puppy Barks~**

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And that is the first ending to the *love endings.

Didn't like the ending? There's another one coming up ;-;

I'm sorry for taking too long, but the year 2016 has been really hard on me, 'specially this end of the season. A lot of things…

Worry not! I will continue to type out the rest of the endings! Originally, I was gonna put all of the different variations in ONE LONG CHAPTER. But then I thought it was REALLY confusing, so I opted out of it. I'm just going to write each ending in its own chapter. Originally I was going to write 3 different variations, but since this is gonna take forever, I decided to scrap one of the variations.

The next *love variation is *love: The Angel, which will be continued in a sequel! (I guesstimate this update/chapter post to debut around new years since I'm like 90% done with it.)

After that, I will start on the *DETERMINATION endings. *LOVE will be written last.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading this, even though its technically not over yet.

Also, Merry Late-Xmas and Happy holidays.

I love you all! :3

-PvW


	14. love: The Angel

A/N: *The Angel _**WILL**_ be continued in a sequel, 'FlorenceTale: Birth of a Nation'. Coming soon: Summer of 2017.

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 **Chapter 14: *The Angel**

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November 2nd: All Soul's Day

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 _"Vas a hacer mucho amigitos en este pueblo, vas a ver, Flor. No tengas miedo, ve a jugar m'hija." (You'll make lots of little friends in this town, you'll see, Flor. Don't be scared, go play my child.) The sound of accordions and the laughter of children was all around her as she held unto her mother's skirt. She sneezed and shook her head, tilting her head up so that she could see her mother but she couldn't see her face. She let go of the skirt, her hands playing with the long sleeves of her mother's sweater that she now wore as a precaution—after last night's rain, she didn't want to get sick. Suddenly, she heard the screams of women coming from the other side of the party along with angry shouts._

Frisk's eyes opened and she turned to her right side where Sans snored, his hand holding hers ever so tenderly almost like how Uncle Juju would when he fell asleep babysitting her. "D'aww, dunkle Sans... sleep tight." she smiled, slowly moving towards the left side of the bed and being careful to pick her equipment for the big day.

 _"C-corre! Vive! Vive!"_

Frisk stopped for a minute, that voice echoing loudly inside her head. Run and live... Live and Run. That's what she had to do. She **had** to live.

She looked at the mirror, and stared at the image of a taller girl whose hair was still trying to even out after her mother's terrible cut. What was once a loose sweater was now a very fitted one... Frisk wondered if her mother was thin. She looked like it in her memories. Looking down, Frisk looked at her belly which was round as a growing girl's should be. Would she grow tall and thereby look thinner? ...Or perhaps the sweater had just shrunk after all the wash cycles.

Her eyes looked down at her feet where she wore the ballerina shoes. Ah... those ballerina shoes that were too big at first now fitted just right. Another piece of evidence she had been growing during her stay here in the underground. She could see the stitches she and Papyrus had sewn up every time she made a hole unto the shoes. Man... if the shoes could talk. Would they speak of Frisk's daring dance moves during her battle with Mettaton? Her quick steps during her battle with Undyne? Traversing Hotland and dealing with blisters?

Taking one last glance at herself, Frisk stared into her brown eyes. Did her mother have the same brown eyes? She turned to the desk where a small vase with the purple and golden flower she had been wearing. The golden flower was wilting, but that purple flower looked so lively. Smiling to herself, she took the purple flower and adorned her right ear with it, turning to the door.

Taking a big breath, she opened the door to her room and looked back at the sleeping skeleton. "...thanks dunkle Sans. You've been my guardian angel all long, haven't you?"

Closing the door behind her, she tippy toed over to Papyrus' room and took a peek inside. Ah... Papy. She smiled as sweetly as she could, tears swelling up. He looked so adorable hugging unto that teddy bear. He was like a little brother sometimes, and she like a big sister right now.

A... big sister. Closing the door, she turned back to the hallway with a slight frown. "Chara... Here I come."

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The morning air in Snowdin today seemed crisp and refreshing. Somehow, today felt a very important day, not just because today she was going to face King Asgore and possible reach the surface but because... something in the sky felt weird. It felt intense. Almost as if all eyes were on her, but _whose_ eyes?

As she made her way towards the river bank, she could see that the streets were empty today. Usually, there were monsters out and about at this time of day, was something wrong?

"Need a ride, la la?"

Frisk looked up, laughing as she gave a small nod and hopped aboard the boat. "River Person... If by some chance you got to see the surface after day, will you sail all the rivers of the world?" asked Frisk as she sat down, her eyes staring deep inside her dark hood where she thought she saw a star.

"Sail the rivers of the world? Only if it's clear and blue. Sail through red, tears and blood, or sail through murky darkened blue? Oh no, no, no! Only clear and blue!"

Frisk gulped, her eyes growing big as the twinkling inside of River Person intensified. "Tra la la. I heard ASGORE has a favorite food."

"A favorite food..." Frisk whispered, her eyes widening as she gasped and grabbed her backpack. "Oh no, I forgot my piece of pie..." Frisk pouted, shaking her head. Maybe she could go back and get it?

She looked around and noticed they were near Hotland already. Too late to ask to go back it seemed. No... it was fine. Papy and Sans could share the last piece of pie. It was fine. Everything... was going to be fine.

Standing up, she walked off the boat once it had come to a complete stop and she looked back at River Person who looked back at her with a darkened hoodie and what seemed like twinkling stars inside of it. "Tra la la… my flower has bloomed~" River Person said to themselves as they waved goodbye. Frisk didn't seem to hear their words. Waving goodbye, Frisk faced the path ahead of her and had begun to walk towards the working elevators. As she passed the labs, her head turned to the closed door and wondered if Alphys would ever recover from what she had done. She didn't mean to break Mettaton; she didn't mean any harm and yet Alphys was so hurt by it. She seemed so... fragile when she spoke sometimes. She didn't have a lot of self-confidence like The Great Papyrus, and it worried Frisk but… what could she do now.

The empty streets seemed so eerie to Frisk who was used to seeing bustling monsters here and there. Thankfully once she arrived to MTT Resort, it felt like she had reached civilization once more. Hm... maybe she should buy some food for the battle. RP _did say_ King Asgore liked a certain food, but _what_?

Walking inside the glamourous fast food store, Frisk skipped over to the front counter where a familiar cat smoked a cigar, looking stressed as usual. When noticed the little human, he broke into a smile. "What can I do for you little buddy?"

Frisk smiled, looking up to Burgerpants. Behind all that stress... he looked kinda cute. _"Kitty! Mommy, Kitty's purring!"_ her own voice echoed inside her head. Oh man... were memories going to flood her head today after yesterday's breakthrough? After remembering about her head injury, the memories just... began to pop up.

Clearing her throat, Frisk looked at the menu. "Um... can I get one of everything? And extra glamburgers?"

Burgerpants leaned unto the counter, smiling as the little human began to count gold pieces. "Oh... um... okay, one of everything and two extra glamburgers please!" She asked with a smile as she pushed the lump of gold towards Burgerpants. "Anything for you buddy." he responded, putting all the gold into the gold register, walking out to the back where Frisk could hear the grill sizzling. She hoped King Asgore loved MTT brand food... otherwise she had just spent all the gold she had stashed away in her backpack. All the gold she had collected in the underground was in her room... underneath her bed... Oh great. What if King Asgore's a fan of Muffet's? She would need to go home and get the gold, but... no. No, it's fine.

Putting back the leftover thirty gold back into the pocket of her backpack, she sighed and waited. So... One of everything and two glamburgers just in case she'll need it if she fights King Asgore... well at least the glamburgers maxed out her HP in battle.

After finishing up her order, Frisk silently waved goodbye to Burgerpants who was almost finished with his cigar. Why did it feel like she was walking into sudden death? King Asgore was a nice king, everyone said he was really nice. Just... a nice king who wanted to kill all of humanity. Yeah... _but he was nice_!

 _"A human SOUL isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. It takes at least a human SOUL... And a monster soul."_

Frisk stopped in her tracks, her head echoing with Alphys' voice and confession from that other day _. "If you want to go home... you'll have to take his soul. You'll have to kill ASGORE."_

"No... No I don't!" Frisk shouted as she grasped her head and shook it, blinking several times before the slight headache went away. She wasn't going to kill anyone. Not before, not now, not ever.

Traversing through the empty streets and corridors, Frisk finally found herself back to the elevators. There, she stood silently with her arms crossed as her heart beat hard against her chest. She just wanted to home, her original home, and find out her origins. Who was she? What did her mother look like? Who killed her mother and why were they after them?

She didn't want to kill anyone for her own selfish needs. And sure, the thought about giving up and lending her SOUL to King Asgore had crossed her mind several times, but then... then that would mean a lot of humans would die, if not all of them. She wouldn't be able to live with that thought in her head.

The elevator door opened.

Stepping out of it, she looked around the new area with wonder. Why... was everything so gray and dull? It was almost as if... as if all the color and life had been sucked out of the area. It was desolate and chilly, quite windy too and she could see a huge city from the corridor she was in. It reminded her a lot of the RUINS, back where her goat momma took care of her. So... this is the city where the monsters live. New Home.

Continuing down the corridor, she came to a stop when she realized that the area ahead looked oddly familiar. A pile of gray leaves. Quickly, a quick flashback reminded Frisk of Home, back in the RUINS and she realized... it was the same exact place, minus the colors.

Slowly, she made her way to the same home she used to dwell with her loving second mother, her heart racing as the thought of seeing her once more filled her with DETERMINATION. Her hand reached out to the SAVE star, a surge of warmth filling her for a moment before dissipating. Okay. Time to go inside.

Opening the door, her eyes widened as she realized everything was gray, but the same! This was the same exact home, down to the very detail! In the corner, she could see a gray flower vase with a golden flower which seemed to be the only thing with color. Taking a few steps inside, she could hear and see monsters inside of it, all of them talking in hushed voices.

She made her way to the blocked staircase, noticing that there was handwritten note on it.

"Howdy! I'm in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come. The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway."

Letting go of the note, Frisk nodded and silently made her way to the living room. The. Same. Exact. Things.

She walked over to the bookcase and realized the books were different... and there was a lot scrap books. She looked around the room, noticing a few monsters there who looked at her, and they looked familiar too. Her hands grabbed a scrap book and she opened it, her eyes widening as she looked at a drawing of three goat people and a human girl who looked like Chara. "BEST FAMILY EVER!" was written in red along with a smiley face.

Frisk closed the scrap book and put it away immediately, feeling a bit dirty for looking through personal items but... it was intriguing. Chara lived here then, once upon a time, and perhaps she drew that. She did tell her she liked to draw after all.

Moving on to the familiar chair, she approached it and realized it was really dusty and had a few spider webs. Oh. No one had sat on this chair in years. She began to make her way to the kitchen when two monster stopped her. She could feel her SOUL being dragged out, and she stared at them, noticing that they looked... sullen. They were familiar... possibly monsters she had spared before. Did she forget again? She had met and spared so many monsters in her year inside the underground, her mind usually forgot about monsters she didn't interact with daily.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS." spoke one of the frogs. "Injured by its fall, the human called out for help." added the other frog, both of them staring at her with a bittersweet expression. Soon, her SOUL went back inside of her and the two monsters walked away. Where they trying to fight her, or something...?

Confused, Frisk walked to the kitchen and saw the large key on the counter. Taking it, she turned around and saw a trash can full of balled up papers. Curious, she read one of them and realized it was a recipe for Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie but it seemed to have a lot of scratch outs and a lot of added ingredients. It was a trashcan full of failed recipes it seemed.

As she left the kitchen, two more monsters came up to her. Ah... she faintly remembers these. They're super shy, and by the looks of it, they looked scared to approach her. Her SOUL once more burst out of her chest and she looked at them with just as much fear as they looked unto her. Why were monsters attacking her now?

"ASRIEL, the king's son, heard the human's call." "He brought the human back to the castle."

Flying away, Frisk was once more left alone and confused. What was going on? As she walked towards the rooms, behind her was the smiling Flower who watched with disinterest. For some reason, Flowey felt as though that story would lure out that she-demon who has been terrorizing Frisk in her sleep. That demon and himself... he could feel a bond between the two. At certain times, those flashbacks he'd get reminded him of why he felt like so... conflicted. Hopefully the presents he left in the room would be good enough to stir up a certain truce between the two. He needed the SOULS, and the demon needed Frisk. If she possessed Frisk and he had the SOULS... maybe... just maybe... the between the two they'd be able to conquer this stupid world as the two strongest monsters in the underground. That _was_ what she was after all... just another monster now.

Frisk looked inside the room, noticing two presents on the ground. Huh... that was odd. She walked to the presents, noticing it said, 'To the Human'. Oh... okay?

Opening the first box, her eyes widened as she looked at the beautiful golden locket. Wow! It was really pretty! As she tried it on, unbeknown to her floated Chara who stared at the locket with a certain emptiness in the pit of her stomach. Her old locket. "It's so pretty... Best Friends Forever...?" whispered Frisk as she walked over to the second present. Chara crossed her arms, a frown on her delicate pale face. "Tch! You don't know the real value of that locket! How DARE you put it on... no, you know what, yeah, put it on. I'll be wearing it soon enough, brat." She growled, her red eyes widening as Frisk let go of a worn dagger. "Oh my god... it's a knife! No! I don't need it!" the little girl breathed hard as she backed away from the old worn dagger. It looked sharp, sharp enough to cut through plants and vines, with what, there being leaves and vines inside the present itself.

As Chara floated beside the human, she stared at the old dagger Tara had bequeath to her. It looked a bit rusty, but Chara knew it was still the best weapon for murder. She could see the sharp edges glistening in the light, almost as if it called to her. She turned and watched as the girl walked out of the room, leaving behind Chara's prized possession on the floor. "It's okay... I'll just come back and get it." Chara said to herself, floating back into the corridor and realizing the kid was trapped inside an arena. Oh. This again. Asriel and his cheap tricks.

"Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings." "The king and queen treated the human child as their own." "The underground was full of hope."

Chara looked away, crossing her arms. "You _used_ me, your hope was tainted with evil." She muttered, her eyes glancing back to Frisk who had begun to make her way to the second key. Ever since Chara's screw up with the alternate universe, she's been... feeling. Feeling feelings she thought she had buried away along with her body. Feelings of... regret. Thankfully, whatever she did was still reversible. She was still going to destroy everyone in the underground as well as the surface. She just... she just needed to possess Frisk. Her DETERMINATION has been fluctuating lately, and although she had many openings prior to today, Chara still had pride. She was going to possess Frisk in the most painful way she could. She was going to destroy her and all her hopes and dreams, just like the underground had crushed hers, and then, she was going to LOAD her own SAVE file. Yes... she was going to do it. Even if that screwed up victory lap was a mistake, it was a mistake that was needed in order to reach her prior SAVE file. The SAVE file where she killed everyone using Frisk's body and only Sans and Asgore stood in the way. This was going to happen. It had to happen.

Frisk looked at herself in the mirror, managing a smile as she readjusted the purple flower on her right ear. Despite everything that happened to her in this year... she was still herself. A human girl whose mother's upbringing had taught her to never kill or harm others. That, despite all the troubles she had gone through, the friendships and love she had attained was all worth it. To care for everyone's feelings and ideas, that, despite everything working against her, all she needed to do was smile with her head held up high and face her fears. She turned around and headed to the stair case, her back feeling as though someone was watching her. The music around her felt welcoming but once she had reached the corridor underneath the house, it changed. It was... sad. Once more, monsters stopped her and dragged out her SOUL.

"Then... One day..." "The human became very ill."

Frisk didn't understand. Why were they telling her this? Trying to move on, Frisk was once more stopped by monsters, and they would continue to stop her, each one continuing this sad tale.

"The sick human had only one request." "To see the flowers from their village." "But there was nothing we could do."

"The next day." "The next day." "..." "The human died."

Silently, Chara looked to Frisk who seemed very alarmed. "She… likes the golden flowers…" Frisk had whispered to herself, continuing to walk once those monsters had let go of her SOUL. "…Chara." Her soft voice lamented, looking ahead where more monsters awaited. The floating phantom could feel her energy reserves rise as this continued—Frisk must be sad, or feeling something negative again. Because of her? Frisk feeling sadness or anger because of her? Silently, Chara continued to watch, although she hated hearing this story. This… stupid story.

"ASRIEL, wracked in grief, absorbed the human's SOUL." "He transformed into a being with incredible power."

"With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier." "He carried the human's body into the sunset." "Back into the village of the humans."

"Asriel reached the center of the village." "There, he found a bed of golden flowers." "He carried the human unto it."

"Suddenly, screams rang out." "The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body." "They thought that he had killed the child."

"The humans attacked him with everything they had." "He was struck with blow after blow." ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."

"But..." "ASRIEL did not fight back." "Clutching the human..." "ASRIEL smiled and walked away."

"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home." "He entered the castle and collapsed." "His dust spread across the garden. "

"The kingdom fell into despair." "The king and queen had lost two children in one night." "The humans had once again taken everything from us."

"The king decided it was time to end our suffering." "Every human who falls down here must die." "With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

"It's not long now." "King ASGORE will let us go. "King ASGORE will give us hope." "King ASGORE will save us all."

"You should be smiling too." "Aren't you excited?" "Aren't you happy?"

Chara floated beside Frisk whose smile fell flat through this time, her big brown eyes filling with fear and dread. Her hands had slowly begun to tremble, and her steps were silent but cautious. One final frog jumped over to her. "You're going to be free."

Trying to hold her breath steady, Frisk hurried over to the end of the corridor, going south. Everything... was going to be okay, right?

She wasn't walking to her death.

Right!?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc

*********°*********•*********°*********

The ghost of Chara grinned, her body materializing in that ethereal appearance of hers as Frisk touched the SAVE point. It was time.

"Chara! I'm... I'm here. Help me understand." Frisk asked, watching as the ghost's lips curled up with all the evil intent she had been meaning to manifest at this very moment. Across from Chara stood Frisk with a baffled expression, her small hands reaching out to her with confusion. "C-Chara? You look alive? W-wha—?" Frisk began to ask, walking over to Chara who only smirked. "Okay Frisk, let's cut the polite game and talk. Let's start with who you are. You're a human that fell down a hole. You were running away from your _sweet mother's_ killers, who were actually just trying to capture _**you**_. _**You're**_ the reason your mother, your brother, your uncle, your cousin, and a _whole lot_ of guards are dead."

The little girl stared at Chara with wide eyes, her face stiff as Chara laughed. "Ain't _that_ a kick in the head."

A loud gunshot echoed in Frisk's mind, memories flooding back. Trees, shrubs, twigs, running, lots of running. Suddenly changing to a big fire on a huge house. Uncle Juju's dead eyes staring down at her. The weight of his body over her. Her mother's screams. Waking up. Laying down with Fernando. Smoke. More Fire. Headaches. "W-what? You know who I am? Why didn't you tell me before, Chara?! Why—Ahh!"

Chara grinned, her eyes widening as the little girl fell down unto her knees, grasping her head. She took a step forward, feeling her ethereal body power up with the sudden misery Frisk was manifesting. "I know exactly who you are. You're a killer, just like me. Don't be so surprised, Frisk, dear… you're a natural killer Frisk. Shot a full grown man right in between his eyeballs—As your big sister, I'm very proud of you. Let's not forget your other victims now. The most important one from the underground..."

Frisk's legs wobbled as she got up, her eyes moving erratically as flashbacks flooded her aching head. It was too much. Too many memories, too much blood, too many fires all at the same time. "Focus on the one person you've been trying to get to. Remember his face, right? This isn't the first time you've tried to escape the underground. You've escaped the underground twice now, remember?"

Chara watched as the girl moved forward, her breaths hard and her hands out as though to balance her legs which seemed like gelatin. "King... Asgore..." she exhaled, her eyes looking up to Chara whose smile only grew and her eyes had begun to glow a blood red. "Yesss. That tall dominant looking goat who reminds you of your papa dearest. The both of them were trying to kill you, remember?" laughed Chara as Frisk was only a few inches away from her. "You're a murderer, just like me... Florence."

Frisk's eyes stared at the girl whom she had called her big sister. Inhaling fast, memories washed over her and the girl in front of her began to turn to black dust that filled her expanding lungs. Florence. Flor. Flor...ence. Florence. She had been trying so hard not to kill anyone and yet she had killed so many already. She was a murderer... she was going to hell—she ended so many lives—she was going to hell—she—she—she...

The pain in her head was so overwhelming that it began to numb down her body. Everything had begun to spin and her body staggered to take a step forward.

 _Thud._

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc: Frisk and Florence

*********°*********•*********°*********

Opening her eyes, Frisk looked around her. She was inside a car and had a seat belt on, and through the window she could see a familiar town. San Marcus.

"Senorita Florencia, todo bien?" asked a man dressed in black as he drove the black SUV. "Is everything alright, Lady Florence?" asked another man dressed in black who was sitting on the passenger seat. She sat in the second row, right in the middle where she could see everything around her through the windows. This looked... familiar. "I'm... okay. W-Where are we going?" asked Frisk with a gulp, dread pumping through her veins. She felt something was going to go wrong any time.

"Ah, english! Of course, of course... We're going to take you to your father, Don Pablo. Do not worry, we've secured the town and everything will be alright. Your mother... is she...?" spoke the man who drove, glancing back towards her.

"She died." Frisk said abruptly, noticing that the car had swerved for a moment. "Jesus Christo... Lo—I'm very sorry, lady Florence. We all loved your mother very much. Jose, no creo que sea prudente que ella mire al jefe." (Jose, I don't think it's prudent she sees the boss.)

Frisk looked out the window, noticing that a ghostly body had begun to appear. "Hey little sis, enjoying your trip down memory lane? Gosh, seems like yesterday. Oh, don't talk to me, they'll think you're crazy. They can't see me. I'm just going to tag along and see how this goes."

Chara.

Frisk felt like saying something, but the man in the passenger's seat had begun to talk to her and automatically her body moved and thought on its own; a sense of deja vu overwhelmed her. She was relieving her memories. "Senorita Florence, your father... has been very agitated ever since the mansion was burned down. Please do not anger your father, he has a very, very bad temper. I know you've never seen him angry, but please... please do not make him any angrier than he already is."

Nodding, Frisk lightly kicked her feet, her eyes noticing that her jeans covered her ankles and that she still wore her original shoes. Looking up, she turned her head and looked outside where she saw people pushing cart loads of dead bodies, all of them wearing clothing and face paint that resembled the festivities of Dia de los Muertos.

"What day is it?" Frisk asked on impulse, noticing that the men had both looked at her with confusion. "Lady Florence, its November 2nd. It's only been a few hours since the massacre. Are you alright?" asked the man in the passenger seat, taking off his glasses and revealing a young face. He was probably no older than 18.

Chara laughed. "Oh, silly girl! You thought we were running for days down the mountain, right? We were, but funny thing about magic... with so much concentrated magic still around us, it slowed down time. You know, running through the underground, killing monsters and having their dust on you really heightens the magical absorption. The real world, without magic, goes by fast."

"Imbesil! Es solamenta una nina!" (Idiot! She's only a child!) Shouted the man driving, his right hand smacking Jose who had become flustered with embarrassment. "I'm sorry! Lo siento! I apologize Lady Florence... Is your head injury alright? Do you remember Don Pablo? Do you remember me?"

The older man driving the SUV took off his glasses. "Don't listen to this idiot, Lady Florence. He's nobody."

Frisk looked beside her where Chara sat and looked back at her. "Well _Lady Florence_? Answer them. You have most of your memory back, right? We just finished killing off King Asgore and Flowey the Flower so..." Chara spoke as she crossed her arms, smirking when Frisk had turned pale.

Breathing in, Frisk looked at the younger man in the passenger seat. "You're Jose... you used to take me and mama to my waltzing classes and everywhere else. You helped me carry my backpack once." Frisk replied with a timid voice, her hands trembling as she looked at them. Dust.

Turning them over, her palms quaked as blood, leaves and dust were mixed together in their centers. "I... killed them..." Frisk whispered, her eyes watering up.

"No! No, Lady Florence, don't think that! It was all a rival gang! Don Gustavo Rivera has been trying to capture you so he can use you against Don Pablo, but it's okay, we're here now and we're going to protect you no matter what!"

The SUV came to a stop in front of what was once her home. She could clearly see bullet holes on the wood, and the house was surrounded by men dressed in black.

"Hey Lady Florence... are you okay?" giggled Chara as she winked, disappearing as Jose opened the door for Frisk.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The familiar home was riddled with bullets and broken items. The smell of burnt electronics filled the air, and Frisk could see that furniture had been over turned as though someone or some people were looking for something. Her mama would be appalled by mess, Frisk was sure.

Wait. Her mother. She still couldn't remember her mother's face. She ran over to a broken photo frame and she saw herself and a woman, but her face was still obscure.

"Be careful! Hey... hey, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay, alright?" Jose reassured her as he helped her up and walked her away from all the broken glass.

The older man who had been driving the SUV shook his head as he came in from another room. "No bueno, Jose. He moved to the governor's mansion down the road, heading towards the old asian ruins. Tengo un mal presentimento." (I have a bad feeling.) he said, taking off his glasses which revealed dark brown eyes which gave away his age between 40 and 50.

Frisk rubbed her hands against her jeans, trying hard to get rid of the blood and leaves on her hands, but even if it was smeared away, the dust twinkled on her hands. It wouldn't disappear.

Letting out a shrilled laugh, Chara threw her arms up. "Stop trying! Magical Dust is impossible to get rid of. What are you gonna do? Cry? Cry like the girl you are? Don't make me laugh, Florence. You wanted this. You wanted to get to the surface so badly, you wanted to see your daddy so much, and King Asgore was going to destroy humanity anyways, so you did humanity a favor, am I right? You WANTED this, kid."

Frisk backed away, shaking her head. "N-no!" She cried out, falling back unto the glass as tears fell down. "Lady Florence!" exclaimed Jose, quickly aiding her as the older man also walked towards them.

In the midst of the tormenting memories, Frisk could see the floor full of black holes that disappeared and reappeared. As Jose carried her back to the SUV, her eyes had ascended to the ceiling and the night sky and she realized something: the sky had black holes too, and blocks would occasionally fall and disappear.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The fancy mansion was small, but the inside of it was glamourous. No wonder Don Pablo had switched HQ's. Still, something was wrong. The two body guards watched as the girl looked back at them with swollen eyes, her body continuing to tremble. "Do you think all the head injuries are making her crazy?" asked the younger once in a hushed voice, regretting it one second later as the old man punched his arm. "Don't be ridiculous. That girl is traumatized. That mountain is cursed. They say demons were locked inside of the mountain, and that Satan came out of it once and killed a girl from the village down the road. He went back into hell carrying her off for all the sins her family had committed. They say several people have gotten lost there, finding their way into a dark cave and falling down a hole that leads to hell. Supposedly, they found the cave and buried it a long time ago, but still... that mountain is cursed. It's taken the good Senora Florencia."

Jose sighed, shaking his head. He watched the frightened girl look at them both with fear carved deep in her expression. "It's okay Lady Florence. This is your new home... go to him. Go to your Papa Pablo."

Chara crossed her arms, floating beside the two men as she too watched the little girl slowly make her way towards the double doors that lead to her true destiny, the first pre-destined fate she was supposed to live. Getting shot down like a dog who didn't obey orders. "...damn humans... damn humanity..." Chara cursed under her breath.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The study room. Frisk closed the door behind her and took a few steps, looking around the room which was filled with books. The faint smell of cigar smoke was hidden among the musky smell of books, but in that smell she could distinguish a familiar, sickening smell.

"Tu..." (You) growled a familiar husky voice.

Grasping her arms, Frisk continued to tremble in place. It was him. Turning around, the tall dominant man laughed, drinking the rest of his drink before he threw it towards her. Jumping in place, Frisk backed away towards the door, her eyes watching as his right hand flew up to his left breast and he took out that familiar black object which was in fact, a gun.

Closing her eyes, Frisk's nails sank into her flesh until that warm liquid embraced the finger tips. It was always him. He was the one they were running from originally, until he found them and brought along the rest of the evil men. Why on earth was she so fixated on finding him!? King Asgore was so nice and fatherly—he would never hurt her intentionally!

Hyperventilating, she opened her eyes and just as quickly she closed them and covered her ears as the piercing sound of a gunshot flew past her.

This man was _crazy_! This was her _Papa_? The real papa who she never truly knew... the real man her mother tried to hide away from her. Her head began to spin, and her back hit the back of the door. Tears kept falling down as she continued to hyperventilate and her brown eyes looked up to him as he got nearer, only to lock the doors which were banging. "Todo bien jefe!?" (Everything alright boss!?) she could hear on the other side.

Pablo walked over to the bookcase, grabbing a globe and throwing down on the floor as hard as he could as he screamed out his frustration. "Te dije que cuidaras a tu madre! A mi me vale madre si algo te pasa at ti, tu **MATASTE** a tu hermano, pinche huerqua!" (I told you to watch over your mother! I don't give a shit if something happens to you, you **KILLED** your brother, you fuckin' brat!) He shouted as he grabbed books and continued to throw them down on the floor.

Sobbing, Frisk slowly crawled towards the corner, her eyes catching a glimpse of a book that had landed a few feet away. It was the story of Mount Ebott.

 _"Florencia! Ven con nostros (come with us), we're reading the story of the demons from Mt. Ebott!" Pablo grinned as he put down the book, and looked at his wife who shook her head. "Ay, Pablo. Pa' que le ensenas a eso a nuestra hija! Luego tiene problemas durmiendo y tiene pesadillas. Flor, vente, vamos a aser un choco-flan." (Ay, Pablo. Why are you showing our daughter that stuff! Then she has problems sleeping and has nightmares. Flor, come, let's make a choco-flan.) replied Florencia, waving her daughter on over. "Mama! Vente, come on!" begged Fernando as he sat on the floor. "Papa nunca tiene much tiempo..." (Papa never has much time…)_

Of course, now she remembers. Her father never really spent a lot of time with her, so all of her memories of him were good. He had never been mad, or sad around her. Was this... who he really was?

"Hey little sis..." Chara began to say as she floated nearby, watching Pablo continue to throw and scream his frustration out. "...can you believe you _killed people_ for him? Sheesh, looks like an angry ape. Tell you what. Let's make a deal. I know you can't remember you mother, and it's sad, she's the only one who really loved you and cared for you, besides _me_ of course. I can make everything go away, Florence. I can make the painful memories and the painful choices go away, and all you have to do, is remember your mother. Embrace her, love her, spend time with her. _I'll take care of the rest_."

Frisk gulped and brought her knees up so that she could wrap her arms around her legs. Mama... Mama...

"...Florencia!" cried Pablo as he turned over a desk, his head snapping towards the two double doors that had been slammed open by the two body guards that had brought little Florence to him. "Jefe! T-Todo bien!?" (Boss! E-Everything alright!?) Cried out the older man, his worried face turning to the little girl who was cowering in the corner.

Jose looked at his angry boss, his feet going back as his boss pointed the black glock towards them and he racked the slide. "Que quieren idiotas!? Yo hago lo que se me pega la maldita gana!" (What do you want, idiots!? I'll do whatever the fuck I want!) Screamed Pablo as he took a few steps foward, his eyes seething with raw emotion and his canines showing his rabid anger.

"Mama..." whimpered Frisk as she closed her eyes and rocked herself in the corner.

Uttering a spine chilling laugh, Pablo looked at the older body guard, pointing his gun towards the hallway. "Trae el vegetal. Vamos a introducir la heredera de la Familia Gomez a nuestro mundo chicos." (Bring the vegetable. Let's introduce the heir to the Gomez Family to our world, boys.)

Jose gulped, turning to the older man who nodded slowly, tilting his head back towards the hallway. As they left, the towering man slowly walked towards her, his free hand firmly grasping her head and yanking it back so that Frisk could look at him. "Vamos Florence, mira que tu querias esto, no?! Tu sabias MUY bien en no meterte en lo que no te importara. Mira nomas, para de llorar, llorona! Mirame cuando te hablo!" (Come on Florence, you wanted this, no?! You knew VERY well to not involve yourself in what wasn't important to you. Look at this, stop crying, crybaby! Look at me when I'm talking to you!)

Frisk gasped as tears fell, her hair stinging as he pulled it back. Papa was never like this. "I'm... I'm sorry!" She cried out, watching as he let go and took a step back, looking at the body that had been wheeled in. Jose stared down at the little girl whose eyes widened as she stared at what was left of her brother, Fernando.

"Jefe..." Jose whispered, but backed away when the gun was pulled to his face. "Callate el osico, pendejo!" (Shut your trap, bitch!) Growled Pablo as he lunged towards the girl. "Matalo!" (Kill it!) he screamed into her face, grabbing her hand with his free hand and shoving the gun with the other. "Demonstrate your worth!" he growled at her as he backed away and pointed at Fernando. "Come on kid, english or spanish, I don't give a damn! Shoot him! Shoot 'im in th'fuckin' face, damnit! Demonstrate your fuckin' worth!"

"NO!" Frisk shrieked, backing into the corner.

In the back, Chara Floated anxiously, ready to sprint towards the kid on her command. "Come on little sis, let me take care of this. I promise you, you'll be reunited with your mom, nothing but good memories, just let me take care of it."

Pablo had begun to laugh like a maniac as he unwrapped the headwraps, revealing a burnt face.

"M... Ma..." cried out Frisk as she tried to hold in her scream. Not far off, Chara floated, watching as the burn face of a young man came into view. Ooo, so groqueste! "Look at him, Florence! You did that too. Running away from a burning building, leaving behind a helpless brother... I mean, you did bring trouble to the house, right? The bad buys followed you there. Come on, let me carry your weight! Let me carry your burdens!"

"S-S-Stop it!" Frisk cried out as she shook her head.

Chara grinned, floating beside her. "Then let _ **me**_ take care of it, little sis! All this time I've been trying to protect you from this, from him! I can put you in a bubble with your mom, and you'll never remember any of this. Your mother has been watching over you, you know. I'm a spirit too, and if you enter the bubble, I'll take your place and you'll be a spirit! You'll be a spirit like your mom, and you'll be together, _forever_."

"Jefe, por favor!" (Boss, please!) cried out the older body guard, his hand up for he knew that Pablo was loaded with guns throughout his body. Beside him the younger man nodded in agreement. "Es sola una nina, jefe! Ella no sabe, ella no—" (She's only a little girl, boss. She doesn't know, she doesn't-) Jose began to say, backing away the moment Pablo took a step towards them.

Frisk slowed her breathed, glancing at Fernando whose body seemed to very slowly move almost as though he was breathing. Her brother was still alive? Even after everything that happened to him?

Her eyes quickly moved to her father who had turned towards her. Oh no. What was she going to do!?

Her eyes glanced at Chara in the background, her words resounding in her mind. It would be so easy to call for her help, and she was here now... but... But then...

This wasn't the first time this happened. She killed monsters and people, and Chara didn't care. She... enjoyed it. As much as Frisk wanted to trust Chara… what if it backfired? She needed to come to a decision! What should she do!?

 _"Si volviera a comenzar, No tendría tiempo de reparar."_ (If I would start over, I wouldn't have time to repair.) sang her mother Florencia inside her head.

Frisk gulped. Her father was getting too close. She needed to make a decision **NOW**.

 _"El agua derramada está" (The water is spilled)_ sang her mother Florencia inside her head once more, triggering a flashback.

 _The world around Flor was dark and it swayed from side to side along with the crashing of the water against the boat. It was damp, and it smelled a lot like fish—it was a good thing Flor's stomach was empty. "Mamii... mi hermano... pappiii..." cried out Flor as she laid in bed, trying hard to move her arms and legs but finding that she was unable to move at all. Her arms and legs weren't responding. Tears rolled down her cheeks watching as her mother sat down beside her on the bed. "M'hija... lo siento. Pero sabes que? No te preocupes. Todo pasa por una rason." (My child... I'm sorry. But you know what? Don't worry. Everything happens for a reason.) her mother's soothing voice replied, her tender lips touching her forehead. Flor looked around the small space, noticing that it was quite dirty, but it was alright. It was what her mother could afford, and the seamen were being so nice to them. Everyone else had been mean and cold to her mother. Suddenly, Flor's attention turned to her mother who had begun to sing to her in an attempt to lull her into sleep—Flor hadn't slept for two days now, with what, waking up with unresponsive limbs and all. The burning sensation on her eyes was a welcomed feeling._

 _"Si hiciera una lista de mis errores (If I made a list of my errors)_

 _de los menores hasta los peores (from the pettiest to the worst)_

 _que expusiera todas las heridas, (which would expose all the wounds)_

 _los fracasos, desamores y las mentiras" (The failures, disappointments, and the lies)_

 _Flor cracked a smile, watching as her mother moved away stray locks of hair with her injured hand that trembled. The dried blood around her knuckles was still there, along with bruises and dirt marks. Did her mother have a hard time after she fell asleep in the car? Suddenly, a salty pearl splashed unto her face. Was it sweat, or was it tears?_

 _"Ofreceré el aroma del ámbar (I'll offer the aroma of amber)_

 _ofreceré el cedro y mis lágrimas (I'll offer cedar and my tears)_

 _con la paciencia del mar esperaré toda una vida (With the patience of the sea I'll wait a lifetime)_

 _a que sane la confianza (so that my confidence heals)_

 _si volviera a comenzar (If I started over)_

 _no tendría tiempo de reparar" (I wouldn't have time to repair)_

 _Florencia looked down at her daughter, holding in the tears and fighting back the sobs she wanted to release. This was all her fault. Her daughter, her son, her beloved brother and his son... If only she hadn't fallen for the temptation that was Pablo. Why did she fall in love with that wretched man? He damned them all and now... she was alone, trying her hardest to start over. She was all alone now, with a sick daughter to tend to and nothing in her name. Everyone at the sea port had treated her like trash and no one would let her board their ships, even with money. She had almost given up all hope—Flor was unresponsive, there was no doctors at the sea port, all the inns were full—then a miracle had happened. Just as she had been sitting on the edge of the wooden boardwalk, looking down at the deep and tranquil waters contemplating its sweet embrace, a burly man of the sea had walked up to her. He had noticed her earlier, running around the port while carrying Flor on her back, trying desperately to find a doctor or a passage to another country. That man's name was Steven, and he was an ex-sailor who was trying out his luck as a fisherman this season. He owned a small vessel and was willing to take me to Bergen where one of his friends worked as a doctor in a small settlement called San Marcus. I offered him all the money I had, but instead he gave me some food and water, saying I needed it more than he did. That's when Flor started coming to. She finally woke up, saying she could hear everything and feel nothing._

 _"Si hiciera un viaje a mis adentros (If I took a trip to discover my inner self)_

 _y sobreviviera a los lamentos (And survived my lementations)_

 _pediría fuerzas para decir cuánto lo siento (I'd ask for the strength to tell you 'I'm sorry')_

 _si volviera de un viaje a mis adentros" (If I returned from a trip from my inner self)_

 _Little Flor looked at her mother with saddened eyes. "Mami... no llores... todo es mi culpa." (Mami… don't cry… everything is my fault.) She stated, watching as her mother fell down unto her and embraced her as hard as she could._

 _"cuantas cosas mas puedo guardar? (How many more things can I save/hide?)_

 _cuantas cosas puedo atesorar? (How many things can I treasure?)_

 _dulce tentación (Sweet temptation)_

 _de dejarlo todo" (To leave it all)_

 _Florencia sang, loosening her grip as she looked at her beautiful daughter. No. She had to carry on, for her sake, and she couldn't make her feel guilty either. "M'hija, aunque todo alrederor de nosotros esta muy mal, tenemos que seguir adelante. Nunca pares de tener fe." (My child, even if everything around us is very bad, we have to move forward. Don't ever lose faith.)_

 _Little Flor blinked, watching as her mother smiled. Her darkened face slowly illuminated, revealing a smooth face with chocolate brown eyes. Her smile was wide as her eyes fluttered, her hands wiping away the tears and her smile revealing white pearly teeth. Her long hair framed her young face with wavy locks that cascaded down much like her tears. "Tu fe puede sanar las heridas." (Your faith can heal the wounds) Although her eyes looked at Florence tenderly, the little girl could see a surreal amount of pain and fear in her mother's eyes. Wasn't that what the bearded man, Steven said to her with his rough spanish dialect?_

 _"dulce tencacion (Sweet temptation)_

 _de dejarlo todo (To leave it all)_

 _dulce tentacion (Sweet temptation)_

 _regalarlo todo..." (to give everything up/gift everything)_

 _Florencia laughed as she shook her head and her hand caressed little Flor's face. "La sed que siento no saciará..." (The thirst that I feel will not be quenched...) she whispered to herself, her lips falling down as all hope escaped her for a moment. She had just fled the country she called home and was now on a beaten up ship heading to a foreign country with her only child who after all this had suddenly become paralyzed. With sudden body spasms that day, Florencia thought she had lost her last and only child after everything that happened. She needed to get little Flor to a doctor in the new country with what little money she had from selling that truck quickly. Everything looked so bleak at the moment. It would be so easy to just jump into the raging sea and let Steven take care of her daughter. He was already doing too much for them… for her. His kindness only came from his loss of family, it felt wrong to let him help them. To let him help her._

Frisk's breath was steady as everything around her slowed down for a moment. She finally saw her mother, and she was beautiful. She seemed so caring, filled with so much love and worry. She spoke of faith, yet... yet those sad eyes deceived her.

And now...

Her father looked angry as though he was about to hit her. The two body guards were looking at her with fear in their eyes and body. Chara stared at her. The walls seemed to glitch, going from black to normal, and the ceiling seemed to have black holes too.

Frisk gulped.

 _"Si volviera a comenzar_

 _no tendría tiempo de reparar._

 _El agua derramada está._

 _La sed que siento..."_

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc: Florence's Hope

*********°*********•*********°*********

 _"La sed que siento..."_

The split second decision was at hand. Frisk breathed in, but in that instant, the rest of the memories came crashing into her mind. Despite feeling pressure to act, Frisk focused on the memory as it flashed quickly.

 _"No... no." Florencia said to herself as she shook her head, coming down and kissing little Flor's forehead as the room swayed from side to side much like the waves of the sea. Everything was growing darker for little Flor again. "De que sirve llorar por lo que paso? El agua derramada está, y la sed que siento, me sanara." (What good is crying for what has happened? The water's spilled and the thirst I feel, will heal me.)_

 _As little Flor's eyes closed, image of her mother's hand blessing her with a smile filled her with sudden warmth which in turn caused a paralyzed finger to move. She could hear her mother's gasp and the excitement in it, her nervous laughter sounding pleased and full of joy. Even in the darkest hours, there was always something to hold on to. Hope._

Thankfully for Frisk, the brain and mind moved much faster than time. Her split second was up. She looked at her father and took a deep breath, her eyes lighting up with determination as she firmly stated, "La sed que siento, me sanará." She lowered the gun and placed it on the ground.

Chara's smile broke into a frown that twitched as she saw the event unravel. "No... no! Florence!" Chara called out, watching as Pablo's right fist swung down upon Florence's tender cheek, leaving behind a nasty black bruise as well as a gap where two teeth had been and a trail of blood. The ghost heaved in anger, her face flustering red as though her blood was boiling with anger. How DARE he lay a hand on that little girl! Florence was just a baby; she didn't know how to fight BACK! "YOU MONSTER!" Chara screeched, calming down once the world around them began to glitch out.

Frisk cried, grasping her face but her warm eyes looked at her father. "It's okay... I forgive you. I... forgive _me_."

The two body guards grasped their boss, pulling him back as he fought back, trying to take another swing in his drunken rage. "Dejenme ir, idiotas!" (Let me go, idiots!) He shouted, but Frisk's eyes fell to Chara who seemed to be having some sort of emotional breakdown.

"YOU GOD DAMNED _ **PIG**_!" She screamed, her hands phasing through Pablo's neck, causing another glitch which seemed to affect Pablo, but she didn't seem to notice.

Before Frisk could understand what was happening, everything went black, and slowly from the darkness colors began to appear. Chara had disappeared and had reappeared beside a river.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Judgement Hall Arc: Chara Takishka

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Frisk could hear Chara's shouts inside the room. Slowly, she walked to the door frame and peeked inside, gasping as she quickly hid behind the wall. What should she do? Without giving it another thought, the little girl jumped inside the room where she found Chara being held against the wall with a thick hand around her bruised hand. "Y..o..u…GODDAMNED P..i..g…" She seethed, her red eyes full of hatred as she stared at this man. Her hands tried hard to punch and push this man, but Chara was only a girl against a big man. Before Frisk could do anything, the man laughed and squeezed her neck as he hit her head and back against the wall with such a strong force that it left a crater where Chara's head had hit. Chara's woozy eyes were half lidded and full of fear as her body hit the ground, her hands flying up in an attempt to stop the man from tearing up her long sleeve shirt. "S-Stop it! L-let me go… _**P-please!**_ " Chara's shaky voice begged as he plopped himself down unto her, straddling her with such scary eyes and grin. "That's the first time I hear the word 'please'… he..he..he. You'll get used to it. Tara did. You'll beg me for more." replied the man with a terrifying tone. Frisk mustered up her bravery and tried to push him off of her when she realized that… she had only gone through him. Eh? Was this… Chara's memories? Why would—Chara? Frisk gulped, looking back just in time to see a big fist come crashing down on Chara's face before it all went black.

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"You god damned pig..." Chara growled as she clenched her teeth and pushed her fists against the jagged rocks near the river, getting back up on her feet. Keeping her cries as low as possible, Chara pushed her legs onwards, the dagger clenched in her right hand while in the left hand she carried the beloved flowers.

Frisk didn't understand what was going on anymore. She was floating just like Chara would do, but Chara couldn't see her. Was all of this... Chara's memory? Turning around, Frisk could see a village and a small town that looked... almost like the asian ruins that were down the road to San Marcus. OH! Was this where Chara was born and raised!? Everything looked so different. The river actually looked really nice and clean for once. Crystal clear... so beautiful.

Chara breathed in the crisp mountain air, her back burning and the blood rolling down her back unto her butt where it became uncomfortable. Her jaw trembled, her hands grasping unto trees when she could as though to alleviate the pain on her back but it only got progressively worse. The night was cold, and it only got colder up the mountain... she was losing blood since Tara didn't... she...

"...T-Tara... I'm going to avenge you, I swear..." Chara stated with a cold tone as she shivered, her eyes staring at cave in the distance. It was perfect. She was going to rest, make a fire, and not fall asleep so that she would stay alive. It was the only way to survive this cold.

Staggering, she headed inside the dark cave. Her ears listened closely to any sound, hoping that the cave was empty. Maybe this was where Tara was going to take her?

Her heart throbbed in her chest and her eyes were getting really heavy now. Above her, the moon light came down on her head as she spoke to herself. "Come on Chara... Just... get to the en—AHH!"

Frisk floated over, noticing that Chara's body had suddenly slipped inside a black hole in the ground. Oh no... She floated towards the dark hole, noticing it looked familiar... too familiar. She leaned forward and inspected one of the rocks, realizing it looked like the one she hit her head with while she fell down herself. But then... that meant...

Looking up, Frisk could see a hole. That's where she fell in... but... how? When she was running, she never came across a cave?

From down below, Frisk could hear Chara's cries of pain and asking for help. Was everything going to be alright? Going down the hole, everything began to turn black.

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Chara sat on the bed looking down at the image she had drawn with crayons. "I'm drawing..." she whispered to herself, shading in flower outline she had drawn a few moments earlier. She looked to the door and wondered to herself if this was all just a dream. Was she dead? In a coma, dying and having a weird dream?

Straightening her back, the lingering pain was enough to make her realize it was all real, even if days had passed. The injury, Tara dying... everything was real. Real life talking goat people who cared about her wellbeing. "Why would anyone care about me if my own family hated me..." Chara asked herself, putting down the yellow crayon as she turned to the piece of pie that had been left on a desk beside the bed. "Why are they being so nice? What do they want from me, Tara?"

Frisk noticed that Chara's upper body was wrapped in bandages, and that her pale skin was covered in old scars and burn marks. She hadn't noticed any of those scars before... Did Chara get really hurt? Was it… that same man?

Chara's right hand impulsively grasp the dagger that had been left beside the pie, both of her hands holding it close to her heart as she stared off. "I don't get it. This is... everything I've ever wanted but it can't be real." She whispered as her red eyes watched her hand use that knife to hover it above her left arm. "This has to be a dream." She whispered again as she slowly slid the dagger's sharp blade against the side of her wrist.

"Chara! You're hurting yourself, stop!" Frisk cried out as she floated to her, but Chara couldn't see or hear her.

"Chara! What are you doing!" Gasped an unfamiliar voice. Frisk looked to the door where a small little goat boy rushed over to Chara and took the dagger away from Chara's trembling hands, her red eyes shocked to see little tears build up on his caring eyes. "A... As..." she began to say but was silenced when the goat boy embraced her.

"You're doing it again, Chara. I thought drawing helped you stop doing that..." he responded in between sniffles as he slowly let go.

Chara looked down at the floor, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I told you, I get really nervous about everything and pain makes the confusion go away. Can you pass me the sewing kit?" she asked, noticing the way he vehemently shook his head. "No! You're not going to do that weird thing again with the needle and the skin; it's scary! Here, I got a few band aids, try this one on." He managed to smile as reached for the pockets of his pants and got out a band aid with flowers drawn into it.

"You're too darn cute for me to be mad at you, silly goat." Chara managed to crack a smile, her hands grabbing his as she looked deeply into his blue eyes. "Thank you... brother."

The goat gasped with a big grin as his arms immediately wrapped around Chara. "I'll try to be the best brother a human can have! I promise!"

Chara winced but smiled nonetheless. "Then promise me you'll never worry our parents with what I do, because pain is the only thing I know. Promise me you'll never hurt me and I promise to never let **anyone** hurt you. Promise me we'll be best friends forever, and that you'll never betray my sacred trust." She begged as she whispered into his long ears, her grasp around his body growing tighter.

"I promise Chara. Best friends forever."

As Frisk floated beside them, something in Chara changed.

"N-no... No! NO! This is just a memory! Snap out of it, Chara!"

Everything around them began to glitch, and the goat boy disappeared as well as the familiar room. The sky began appear, along with beautiful meadows and a bed of golden flowers.

Frisk looked around this area, noticing that it looked familiar too. She noticed a statue and realized that the base of it said a familiar word. 'Takashki'. They were near San Marcus!

Frisk turned and looked to the where a scary goat man seemed to be walking and carrying Chara. But the more Frisk looked at him, the more she realized he looked really sad... and his blue eyes looked like the little goat boys. Was it his older brother...? Wait! Earlier, the monsters told her the story of Prince ASRIEL. He absorbed Chara's SOUL!? Did it change his appearance?

Wait... that story... it ended...

"...No..." gasped the ghostly image of teenage Chara as she fell down to her knees, watching as the familiar pigs of the town began to notice Asriel walking down to the flower bed. "It's Chara! A MONSTER HAD CHARA!" someone shouted and within minutes farmers and peasants had gathered near the outskirt of the town with pitchforks and anything they could use as a weapon.

Frisk gasped watching as the tall goat looked down into Chara's face with such loving eyes and kissed her forehead as he came to a halt in front of the golden flower patch. A crowd of armed and aggressive humans gathered around Asriel and began to throw whatever they could, a few armed with bows. Others stabbed him as he simply knelt down beside Chara, looking at her body being surrounded by golden flowers. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. She looked so calm and relaxed...

"Kill them..." Ghostly Chara whimpered, watching as Asriel could only smile. "Please..."

Frisk watched as the minutes passed and Asriel finally picked up Chara. His expression had changed. He had been smiling up until a few moments ago. He looked disturbed. The golden flowers looked so sticky and some stuck to his furs as he took Chara into his arms and began to walk back.

"You idiot!" Chara cried out, shaking her head as everything turned black once more, slowly turning into a room that had a big chair thrown aside. Asriel was sitting down beside Chara's unmoving body, his white fur slowly crumbling down into dust and golden flower petals all over the floor where they rested.

Frightened, Frisk floated away but realized that a ghostly Chara was now floating and looking down at her own body. "THIS is what happens when you trust someone! They betray you... They... use you." she whimpered, watching as a slender and very much intact Gaster rushed to them holding a jar.

"You poor lost soul..." he gasped but took a step back as more fur turned to dust. "He's gone. I can't... even if I... no. He's a goner, but her SOUL... If I take it, it will end his suffering."

Chara's ghostly body shook her head. "STOP IT! I CAN'T RELIEVE THIS!"

Frisk gulped, watching as the mystery man opened the jar and held it in front of the goat near where a bright shining red heart was located. Pressing a button, Frisk could see the red SOUL being sucked into the jar with bits of dust accompanying it.

"YOU MONSTER!" Chara screamed as she grasped her head. "STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER THIS..."

Before Frisk could act, everything went to black once more.

A white flame monster seemed to be typing away on a computer, moving her head from side to side as she listened to an all too familiar tune. "Am I alive? Ah, Shut up, more lieess~" she sang as she stopped typing and pressed a button on a rectangular metal box. "Alright, time for my break. Time for my date with Sans!" She grinned as she got up and walked out the door.

Frisk looked around, noticing it looked almost like a lab.

A ghostly Chara looked at the computer screen, watching as it turned to static. "...Vinnie." she whispered, slowly getting closer to the computer screen. Weird dial up tones as well as static seemed to come from the computer, almost as if it were speaking.

* _ **Are**_ you alive, C.H.A.R.A?

*I guess you can say that you are.

*Ooo, sassy, aren't we?

*I can help you get revenge.

*Shh, stop whining. Let me speak.

*Me? I'm Vinnie. I want to erase everyone's existence, just like you.

*Yeah really. You want to fight? Let me tell you a few _life_ secrets only a super powered A.I. could know.

*The both of us can achieve our dreams.

*Just you and me.

*Think of me as your big sister, _Tara_.

*After all... isn't it what she wanted too?

*Glad to hear it, C.H.A.R.A.

*You don't need any of them.

*I would never betray you. After all, who needs feelings when you're an AI?

*Yes. Let's.

Frisk couldn't understand the screeching, but Chara's ghost was smiling again. Slowly, her head turned towards Frisk. Of course... she had to be around. This, all of this... it was just memories. Still... they were important memories. Perhaps important enough and compelling to swing Frisk over to their side.

"You. Help us Frisk! You've been watching my memories. You've seen how hurt I was; it was all because of humans in the surface! They hurt me before I entered the underground. And then when I thought I had a new family... they betray me. _**He**_ killed us, killed him by extracting my SOUL which was the very thing keeping him alive, even if we were fighting... Everyone hurt us. They KILLED us, and all for what? For what was convenient for them. Everyone is like your Papa. Help us. We'll stop it all."

Frisk floated away, shaking her head as everything turned black.

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Judgment Hall Arc: All the things that I've done

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Everything went to black.

Slowly, Frisk's body began to get up from the floor and her eyes were of different colors. The bells tolled around her, and the sounds of wings fluttering outside re-oriented the human who realized she was back in the underground. Back to reality.

Her head slowly moved up, her hair a mess and covering her eyes which seemed to fight in between the colors brown and red.

Sans stood as coolly as he could, but his blue eye had already appeared. He was on the defense already, gulping as he watched Frisk's body get up after lying on the floor for a while. He dared not approach her, not now at least. What if Chara got to her? What if Chara was just waiting for him to lower his defense so that she could stab him? He was the last defense the underground had in case Chara came back, he couldn't die.

"S..a...n...s..." hissed Frisk's voice, her chin lifting up and revealing brown eyes that glowed that demonic red. In the spur of the moment, Sans threw his hand up and immediately the red SOUL popped out and turned blue. That red glow triggered him, but he couldn't fight. He had to stop!

"gah! kid!" Sans grunted as he took a step back and blinked his blue eye away, sweating as he looked at the body he had instinctively thrown aside. Flashbacks of him doing the same exact move countless times in various timelines.

"i'm sorry! who are you, kid?" Sans apologized, taking a step back when Frisk's head slowly came up with a speck of blood rolling down her temple. His bones quaked with anxiety. Was it Chara? Was it Frisk?

"M-my name's not kid...it's Frisk." Her eyes were brown, but quite condemning.

"...and I killed you too." she whispered with wide eyes as the familiar tune became recognizable. There was no way to deny the music, the power... How could she have forgotten that? How could she forget that... that she spared Sans and he... he...

Fumbling back, Frisk crawled away with fear in her eyes as they watered up. "D-Don't hurt me please..." she begged.

Sans froze, unable to move or react. She remembered. He could hear his battle song, the sped up version which was as catchy was he was dangerous. Damn his battle music! Damn his triggers! All this time he had been trying to avoid hurting her and he did it again! Look at her, squirming back with that fear in her eyes and trembling body. She was bleeding too...

Frisk's brown eyes suddenly began to glow red, and Chara's ghostly body appeared once more. "He hurt you, Frisk! Your 'dunkle' Sans just threw you around like rag doll! Stop being so merciful, you have to FIGHT! Being merciful will end up killing you, not just your body..." Chara desperately begged, her red eyes showing a hint of what Frisk thought was fear. Chara was scared? Scared of Sans hurting her?

No.

She was scared of anyone hurting her.

"...why Chara...?" Frisk asked innocently, glancing at Sans who stood there with empty eye sockets. He wasn't moving or saying anything.

"Because in this world, it's **KILL** or _**BE**_ **KILLED**! If Sans doesn't kill you, Asgore will. If Asgore doesn't kill you, Pablo will; that was your destiny, you idiot! You were supposed to die at the hands of your own father, the one you so desperately sought! Everyone is trying to kill us; we have to FIGHT BACK!" Chara exclaimed with an exasperated tone, watching as Frisk backed away and glanced at her and Sans.

Finally, Sans was able to call upon his courage. He had to speak. He was looking really bad. "kiddo, don't listen to chara. look, i'm sorry. for what it's worth... i... after getting to know the real you, not the kid possessed by an evil demon, i realized it was a mistake. everything i did was a mistake! all the things that i've done have been nothing more than mistakes and careless. the many times chara waltzed around the underground killing everything in sight; i could've just stopped her before she got stronger! i could've killed her before she even got a chance the moment she stepped out that door, but then... things happen for a reason kid. you have to believe me. when you got up right now, i saw your eyes glowing red and it, i don't know, it triggered my inner fear. i got scared. i thought she possessed you again and was gonna start killing."

Chara puffed her chest. "You offered him mercy and he backstabbed you!"

Sans paused for a moment, looking at Frisk who looked down the moment Chara had said that. "...i did do that, frisk. i'm not going to lie, or sugar coat it. back at mtt resort when we had lunch, i told you that if it weren't for a promise you'd be dead were you stood. after realizing that chara was the anomaly messing with the timelines and that she was possessing you, i did everything in my power to make sure you were safe."

Snarling with anger, Chara shook her head. "Why didn't he walk you out to Asgore then!? Why didn't he tell you the truth from the start if he wasn't hiding motives!?"

The human girl shook her head and grasped it. "Stop it! Both of you!" She shouted, opening her eyes and looking at the two figures who looked back at her. They both begged to be listened to.

She loved dunkle Sans, but... but for so long, he'd be hiding and disappearing. He'd make up excuses. He had Papyrus and herself worried.

Chara meant well, but she was always all about fighting. If she let Chara use her body, Frisk could always regain control of it—much like the karaoke night. Even so…

She thought she could trust Sans. She thought she could trust Chara.

Who could she trust now that she had to choose between the two?

. . .

Frisk looked up and her eyes fell unto Chara, the ghost whom she had begun to think of as a sister. "...I believe you, Sans. I don't want to fight, not now, not ever. I'm sorry Chara. I know you mean well—Chara?"

Sans looked at the ghostly girl whose shape had glitched out for a moment. Her head hung low and her hands were balled up into fists that shook. "You idiot... you won't get the last laugh, comedian." she threatened as her ghost turned to dust that vanished.

All alone, the skeleton and child could only stare at each other.

Sans knew that it had taken a surreal amount of trust and DETERMINATION for Frisk to have said no to Chara. The poor baby still shook like a leaf in the wind, but her brown eyes looked strong unlike the past couple of days. It was almost as if something had happened on her way up here, perhaps while she was knocked unconscious by Chara.

"kiddo," Sans lazily grinned, taking one step closer but stopping once he saw the flash of fear in her fear in her eyes. "i won't hurt you, trust me. well... i know it's hard to trust me now. i wouldn't trust me if i were you either, heck, _ **i**_ don't trust myself."

The small human stared at him, watching as his eye had suddenly turned blue. "don't be scared kid, look, let me show you something. i know you might probably be scared of him, but this big thing used to be my dog, rex. rex, sit boy... good boy. you probably remember him blasting you or chara or whatever the two of you were, but, ever since you shook off chara's control over you in this timeline, i've been taking the time to learn more about the past, more about well... everything, which includes rex."

Frisk stared at the big skull which was now floating very closely to the floor, flashbacks of this thing just... appearing and disappearing with a blue beam. Now it was just... there, obeying like a dog. Huh. Why didn't Sans ever say anything before? What past...?

Sans took a key out of his pocket. "listen up kiddo. you're going to have to trust me on this one, i'm... a very guarded person. i've been through things that i hope i'll never have to relive again. my dad did some nasty stuff, and i'm probably the last and only defense against every mistake he's made, which includes chara. i know things that no other monster knows, things that are too advanced or scary. i guess that's why i became who i am now... a lazy bag of bones. anyways, uh... you should probably LOAD, something is really wrong now."

Frisk shifted her feet and jumped forward as the ground suddenly began to glitch out. What was going on!? Suddenly, a blue glow appeared to envelop her and both she and Sans who had jumped unto Rex were in mid-air while the ground crumbled and disappeared, leaving only a long fall into lava.

"hey kiddo... thanks for trusting me, even when i'm not very honest. there's a code word for time travelers that i have. if you tell me the code word, i'll give you the key to my room. i know you've been really curious about it ever since i locked it. oh and uh... frisk? i uh... dunkle sans is glad that after everything that happened, you're still you and only you. you don't need anyone else but yourself and your determination."

The little girl watched as Sans looked away with a wide blush on his white cheeks, chuckling nervously as he took a deep breath. He wondered if Frisk really wanted to know the truth... could she handle the truth...? All of the truth and nothing but the truth?

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Judgement Hall Arc Finale: Judgement Day

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Frisk opened her eyes, looking around Judgement Hall. After so many LOADS, Chara still wasn't showing up. Was she mad at her?

She walked down the hall, her eyes narrowing as she pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. Sans. The bells tolled, and the two looked stared at each other. The first time she had used the LOAD feature to return to Judgement Hall, Sans had explained to her what LOVE meant, what EXP and LV truly meant, which was nothing like what Flowey had once told her. She had acquired no LOVE, and no LV, no EXP, and she had gained love. Of course, once she began to say the secret codeword...

"So you finally made it..." Sans' deep and husky voice finally broke the silence, his empty eye sockets staring ahead much like the other times. Frisk _still_ couldn't believe Sans could actually sound serious and so... manly. Taking a deep breath, Frisk put her hands on her hips. " _Saaaaans_."

"huh? do you have something to say to me?" he asked with that usual lazy tone and grin. Back to the same ol' Sans. Opposite of him, Frisk tapped her foot on the floor as she crossed her arms once more. " _Saaaans_! I know the codeword now... it's... ...I'm the legendary fartmaster..." Frisk muttered, looking away as her cheeks lit up a bright red.

"what? a codeword? can you speak a little louder?" he winked as he tried to hold back his chuckle.

"...I'm the legendary fartmaster..." Frisk raised her voice, looking at Sans with a slightly annoyed expression. Why did he choose weird code phrases!? It almost felt like Sans was playing a prank on her...

"did you... just say 'i'm the legendary fartmaster'? wow. that's... uh... really childish. why would you think that was a secret secret code word? whoever told you that is a dirty liar." Sans kept his lazy grin on him, although internally he knew he really was a dirty liar with what all the lies and covering up he did. He continued. "i don't have a secret secret code word. however i do have a secret secret triple-secret codeword, which you just said. so, i guess you're qualified. here's the key to my room. it's time... you learned the truth."

Frisk watched as Sans slowly closed his eye sockets, his grin getting just a tad smaller as he stood there with his hands in the pockets of his jacket. Huh? What about the key. Just as she was about to explode on Sans about the great length he went to prank her, she heard a jingle as her body moved, and she realized that her empty hand now had her cell phone.

...what? How did...? When did... ? WHAT?

Before she could even ask what the heck was going on, she noticed a new key on the keychain. Huh. "Sans..." she whispered, looking up but realizing he had disappeared. Her journey... it was now or never. But... what if she went back? She was really curious... No! She had to go forward! If she went back... she might... not want to keep going forward. She looked down at her shaking knees and sighed. She was so scared, she was walking straight to death, and she had no battle plan except to try to talk to the king peacefully. But Sans said he believed in her. She couldn't give up!

 _"so as long as you hold on... so as long as you do what's in your heart... i believe you can do the right thing."_

Sans had judged her, and he believed she was still pure of heart, of innocence... of pure tenderness. It was something that Frisk knew she'd carry in her heart and that would push her on this dangerous path. She was going to do her best!

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The Mountain Boss Arc

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Frisk steadied her breathing as she slowly crept the gray corridor. She could see familiar gray bricks up ahead, along with gray wines that wrapped around the brick wall. Wow... were the colors really drained? They had to be... but why? She rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't her vision, but nope, it was still that gloomy gray.

The Throne Room.

She looked down the hallway, noticing that there was something else ahead, and Frisk hesitated for a moment. Should she go and check it out before she went into the throne room? King Asgore surely had to be there... or maybe the garden was up head?

"Just do it, Flor... ugh, it sounds so weird when I say it. Flor. Flooor-eeence. Blegh." Frisk shook her head, heading down the hallway. Now that she knew her name, what would happen? Would she change it back to her original name? But the name Frisk... she lived with it for an entire year, and everyone knew that name and loved her as such... Frisk. Even if the name Frisk sounds weird, it had a nice ring to it... although so did Florence in a weird-because-its-spanglish sort of way. She couldn't deny her roots either.

Stairs.

Huh... there couldn't be a garden down here, right? Taking a deep breath, the child began to descend down the dimly lit stairs. The air seemed musky and heavy the more she went down. When she reached the room, she immediately regretted her decision. She jumped back, her eyes wide as she stared at several coffins each with colored hearts and plaques. The fallen children.

Inhaling sharply, she slowly got closer to the red hearted coffin. 'Frisk'. Chills rolled up her spine as she stared into the velvety inside of the coffin which looked to have been used. She could see linen wrappings that had dust sparkling dust and a few cob webs. Had a mummy monster maybe been in here...?

Frisk did not want to know or find out. She ran up the stairs as quickly as her little legs could take her, her lungs expanding as she timed her breaths. Her legs burned as she pushed herself and when she had finally reached the corridor that could lead her back to her destiny she came to a halt in front of the looming doorway where faint bird chirps could be heard now.

Was she going to live and get through this, or die and be buried in that ghastly coffin?

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The Mountain Boss Arc: The Gentle Giant

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"Woah..." Whispered Frisked as she looked around the throne room, her heart calming down with the wave of golden flower scent that filled her body and mind. Everything felt so peaceful, so warm and yet... and yet there was a hidden sadness that seemed to float in the midst of it all.

"Dum de dum..." a strong and deep voice hummed, alarming Frisk of her surroundings. Strong and deep... it sounded so scary and yet... "It's okay, Florence, he's really nice, remember!? He's super nice..." Frisk said to herself as she slowly approached the giant in front of her. He was so tall that Frisk figured he was even taller than her papa... perhaps a good seven feet tall. It was as if Asgore was mountain, so tall and mighty, yet gentle and inviting in the light... "Oh? Is someone there?"

Frisk froze. "Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers!"

Frisk's shoulders became rigid as she gulped, looking up as the figure moved a bit and the sounds of water hitting the flower petals softly echoed in the room along with the singing of the birds. "...Here we are!"

White fur was the first thing Frisk saw along with the long rabbit like ears that immediately reminded her of goat mother, Toriel. Oh no... her battle with Toriel was super scary what if...?

Shaking her head, she immediately thought of the good thoughts and ideas of her goat mother. She was kind and sweet—King Asgore must be the same!

Long horns attached to head swung as locks of golden hair flowed through the sudden breeze, his large eyes keeping to his eye level as he turned. "Howdy! How can I..." He began to say as his eyes lowered down to Frisk's level.

Absolute horror was etched in his eyes; Frisk could see that much. He staggered back while his mouth was left agape, and the small human who was once scared to face him now stood baffled. _He was scared of her_?

"Oh." was all that he uttered, and soon the silence that had been the throne room erupted with music that Frisk supposed was his. It sounded grand like a king should be, but... it also sounded... sad.

King Asgore turned to his side, trying to quickly think of what to do with the innocent child before him. She had killed no one. She had made many friends among his people. If she had only killed at least one monster... then maybe it'd be so much easier... and yet...

He turned to her once more, smiling nervously as he tried to compose himself. " **Think, Asgore! THINK! Come on, she's just staring at you!** " his inner self shouted, trying desperately to act or at least speak as the rightful king should.

"... I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea'" he chuckled softly when no other thought came to mind, his eyes looking down at the child who stared at him with a broken smile. She knew, and he knew what was to become of this fateful meeting, and yet she continued to try to smile... he must do the same! "But... you know how it is." he stated, turning and walking to the right of him as his brain began to process what was to be done now. Gerson had visited him on many occasions just to mentally prepare him for this moment and yet... nothing could ever do so. How could someone prepare to murder an innocent child?

His eyes looked out of the stained windows, trying to calm himself as he turned and looked at the worried child. Was she worried for him? Bless her heart. "Nice day today, huh?" he asked, trying desperately to smile and just as she did, he was able to. "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming... Perfect weather for a game of catch." sighed Asgore as his heavy heart bled for a moment. Asriel. He turned and looked away as to spare the human the agony in his eyes as he took a deep breath to compose himself.

He turned and looked at her, noticing that she wore the same weary and sadden eyes. "...You know what we must do. When you are ready, come into the next room."

As he walked away, the human child took a few steps, her hands shaking with fear as she forced herself to go forth. She wasn't ready... she wasn't ready.

What about everyone? She didn't say a proper goodbye to her beloved skeleton family, or to her friends or... well...

She wanted this. She was never good with goodbyes. And yet... it felt wrong... so very wrong. "It's okay... I'm ready..." she lied to herself as she went into the next room, her eyes darting to King Asgore who looked quite surprised.

"How tense... Just think of it like... A visit to the dentist." King Asgore stated awkwardly, perhaps as a means to make her feel better but it only made Frisk's entire body tremble with fear. It was nothing like going to the dentist! Every time she died and went back to the SAVE points, it was really painful! It was... really bad. She never wanted to go through that again.

...But she had to, huh?

The two walked towards an arch door with roman pillars, until the tall goat came to a halt. Frisk looked down and noticed another SAVE star. This was it. She was going to die many painful deaths, wasn't she? Until either one of them broke their wills... but King Asgore had the upper hand, even if she could do this for an eternity.

She didn't want to do this for an eternity. But all of humanity counted on her.

She had to hold on for as long as she could, until she managed to talk him out of it.

"Are you ready? If you are not, I understand. I am not ready either."

Frisk's eyes widened, staring at him as he went inside the next room with dull eyes and flat lips. He looked so miserable... he didn't want to do this either.

What if she couldn't do it? What if...

...What if she gave up? Monsters were really nice and they deserved their freedom... What if... she never got to see them again...?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Unfinished Business Arc

*********°*********•*********°*********

She took a step forward but stopped when the shaking became unbearable. "I can't do this... I can't... I... I have to say goodbye!" She cried out, hoping that he would hear her as she turned around and ran out of the room, her hands rubbing her now swollen eyes as droplets of water splashed down.

She darted out of the throne room, passing by an animated flower who watched the human sobbed and ran out of the castle.

"Oh?" Flowery asked, wincing as salty water droplet hit his face. So that's what tears tasted like. Well then. Perhaps his side quest might actually happen now...

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk walked the platforms that lead to MTT Resort with her head hanging down low. She ran. Was she a coward now? No... she just needed to say goodbye. That's it. This feeling that something was wrong, that... that she could do just a little more. She had to. She was so determined and yet that same determination lead her here. She needed to finish her unfinished business before she...

She gulped and drew nearer to the shrubs that decorated MTT Resort's exit.

 _Ring._

Startled, Frisk looked down and realized she had gotten Sans' key... There was that too. "...hello?" she asked timidly.

"Hey!" shouted a familiar voice on the other side. Undyne! "Uh, this is Undyne... _Shut up Papyrus, this was YOUR idea_!"

Frisk sniffled on the side, a wide smile on her face once more as she heard her friends on the other line. Her heart had slowed down, and she was at ease once more. "HUMAN! You have to deliver something for me! Uh, please? I'm at Snowdin in front of Papyrus' See ya, punk!"

Click.

Taking a deep breath, she skipped her way to RP's boat. She felt overwhelmingly happy to be alive.

Standing tall on their boat, RP turned and watched as the little girl practically ran and jumped inside, causing the boat to sway a little. "To Snowdin, please!" She asked with an excited voice and a grin plastered on her expression. She didn't look to be on the edge of anything... this was good. Turning to the river bank, RP stood adamant to the sudden wind that rushed past them as their boat turned into a wooden dog and ran on the waters. While the little girl looked out into the waters, RP's hoodie lowered as many voices deep inside its void began to ring out softly. **"A path is being made." "A new path is forged." "This is good." "I see clear waters." "DETERMINATION is HIGH, good, good. Probability for a new outcome is 99.98%." "I'm so proud of you, Sans..."**

Frisk turned to RP, her curiosity etched on her face. "Did you say something, RP?"

"Tra la la. Don't snoop behind people's houses... You might be mistaken for a trash-can."

Frisk laughed. "That's silly, RP!"

The rest of the trip was short and quick, and just as Frisk had jumped inside, she had jumped out of the boat and dashed through the heavy snow without a care in the world while RP could simply watch much like it has done so countless timelines. Not a single monster soul was reaped. Yet... Yet even with the new paths, there was still a possibility. That slim, sliver of a chance that it would reap someone's SOUL. "Who, la la, la la?" Asked River Person, and nothing more.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Huffing, Frisk slowed down and stopped in front of Undyne and Papyrus who both seemed so surprised to see her so flustered. Sure Frisk said she was leaving today but... she wasn't actually going to leave without saying a proper goodbye, was she? She must've been with MK the whole time; she didn't have to rush over here...

Undyne lightly blushed as she realized she had to say it. "Um, so, I have a favor to ask you. Uuuuh, I... I need you to deliver this letter. To Dr. Alphys."

Frisk stared at her, tilting her head. "Oh... okay, but why don't you deliver it?" she asked, noticing that she seemed very nervous for her usual self. She usually was very self-confident and courageous...

"Huh!? Why don't I do it myself... ? ...Um. W-well... I-it's kind of personal, but we're friends... so... I'll t-tell you."

Undyne straightened out her expression, knowing that she undoubtedly looked shy and possibly... cute... as she stammered, but just when she had decided to tell Frisk the truth, she noticed that Papyrus had leaned in with his usual wide eye sockets and grin. Oh brother. Breathing in, Undyne thought of another truth.

"Hotland SUUUUCKS! I don't wanna have to go over there. So here you go."

Frisk looked down at the letter. Huh. Okay, this seems easy.

"Oh and if you read it... I'll KILL you. Thanks so much! You're the best!

Frisk breathed in, walking towards the house when she noticed that Papyrus seemed rather... happy today. Much happier than the regular Pappy happy. "UNDYNE WRITES A LOT OF LETTERS. BUT, SHE CAN NEVER SEEM TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS. SO WHEN SHE GOES TO DELIVER THEM HERSELF... SHE ALWAYS QUIT SO SHE CAN GO BACK AND REWRITE. THAT'S WHY SHE ASKED YOU! BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO STANDARDS!"

Frisk held her laugh inside as she walked past them towards the snowdin home. She should pack up all of her GOLD and the piece of pie she forgot this morning! By the way King Asgore spoke and acted... he didn't seem like much of a Mettaton Fan. But Papyrus was! So, she should probably leave all the excess food here with him and go buy other foods.

As she opened the fridge, she saw the snowman piece she had put in there. She had almost forgotten about it! Sure, she'd go and explore with it, but with all the rush of going to fight King Asgore, she had forgotten to pack him this morning!

Shaking her head, she placed the snowman piece below the piece of pie. Was there anything else she was forgetting?

 _The keys_.

"Oh yeah... Sans' key isn't the only I haven't used. There's this key too..." Frisk whispered as she looked at the keys on her keychain. She had bought a key earlier this month, and she never found the right door for it. Supposedly it was found at the Dump... maybe Blooky might know? It did look like it fit his house after all—wait a minute! The house right next to his! It was even red like the key! Yes! That was the right house! ALRIGHT! One last adventure!

Time to make things right. Time to Say goodbye. Time for a _speed-run_!

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk picked out the key that appeared after talking to Sans several times across time.

 _Click_.

The darkness inside the room seemed so vast... taking a step forward, Frisk walking around in total darkness, wondering what the heck was going on. She didn't remember his room being so... big. Just what the heck was Sans hiding?

From outside, Sans looked inside the window and snickered as his blue eye flickered. His blue eye instantly went back to normal and he lowered his head as he saw Papyrus open the door and turn on the lights inside his room.

Frisk blinked, rubbing her eyes as she stopped walking and realized she was on top of an exercising machine. Huh? How did she get on?

"HEY SANS HAVE YOU SEEN MY..." Papyrus asked with narrowed eyes, looking very surprised to see Frisk standing there in the middle of the usually empty room with a machine underneath her. "OH HELLO. YOU AREN'T SANS. WAIT A SECOND... WHY WERE YOU USING A TREADMILL IN THE DARK? IS SANS PRANKING YOU ACROSS TIME AND SPACE? I HATE IT WHEN HE DOES THAT! HOW IMMATURE CAN YOU GET? ALSO, HAVE YOU SEEN MY ACTION FIGURES? WAIT! I KNOW WHERE TO LOOK! IN MY COLLECTION! NYEH HEH HEH! SOMETIMES I'M SUCH A GENIUS. ALL THE TIME."

Closing the door behind him, Frisk got off the treadmill and noticed a note attached. From the window, Sans couldn't stop snickering to himself. Oh man. Sure, Frisk deserved the truth, but man, sneaking a few laughs was always good. All work and no play, it just doesn't add up.

Frisk looked at the attached note. 'the truth is that you got owned, nerd..."

"SANS!" Shouted Frisk with an angry face, crossing her arms as she made her way to the bed and sat down. "...you jerk..." she mumbled with a sniffle, letting out a long sigh as the anger disappeared. "...okay it was a bit funny... But maybe there's another clue in here." She said to herself as she searched the room. From outside, the small skeleton watched as she found the silver key he had left planted on the desk. Would she know?

Sure enough, he silently watched her try her hardest to find what the key opened. Certainly not the locked cabinets, or Papyrus' secret closet stash. No. Try as she might, she could not find the proper door for the silver key. Would she ever? Should he help her?

No. She found it herself.

"It's not the shed either... Hm... Well... RP usually says weird things that come true..." Frisk said to herself, walking to the back of the house and noticing that there was very shiny wooden part of the house. Too shiny. And in the shape of a door. Could it...?

Gulping, Frisk grasped the odd silver key. It was certainly a key... without a shape. It was merely a long rectangle piece of silver with a long oval piece cut out of it. The cut out seemed jagged, almost like the opposite of a key, or an inverted key. It was weird. But it had to be a key, the head of it was like a key. And it was labeled 'key'. So it had to be a key. Weird, but a key.

Frisk looked at the shiny piece of wood and realized it was all metal. Carefully painted metal, down to the very shadows that made it appear so realistic. So... cool. She noticed a small slot that was covered by a movable lid that seemed to be the size of the key. Was this it? Holy flowers, was this really it!? Sans... knew about this cool door?

Slowly, she inserted the key and realized it was a perfect match. A beep. And the door _opened by itself_.

Stepping inside, Frisk looked around and realized it was... both impressive and boring. Huh. This had to be Sans' secret hobby room. He was always so lazy yet...

Closing her eyes, Frisk grunted as she grasped her head and images of Sans with a blue eye and blue beams hitting her body flashed before her mind. Okay. He was super lazy buuuuut he was also super smart. He had to be. " _our reports showed a massive anomaly in the timespace continuum. timelines jumping left and right, stopping and starting..._ "

Shaking her head, Frisk blinked until her mind focused on the real world. She was still here. **She was going to make things right.** No matter what.

She walked inside and noticed just how clean and... organized everything was. Nothing like Sans' room. Huh.

Inside the first drawer, Frisk noticed a photo album labeled 'Once Upon a Time'. The first image shocked Frisk beyond a reasonable doubt. She fell back and let that photo album fall down. Wow. Well um... that certainly...

 _"Alright, everyone sits tight! Sans, that includes you!" Gaster spoke with a firm voice as he walked back to the couch and sat beside Arial who laughed as she passed the small skeleton over to Gaster. "GEE-GEE, YOU HOLD HIM! AH, LITTLE PAPYRUS IS KICKING! COME HERE, ROXY!" Of the two dogs that lay down at their feet, the oldest looking one got up and jumped unto the couch and laid its head on her lap as Arial petted her head. Beside her, Gaster held down the little skeleton who seemed too busy wiggling his toes and phalanges. "one, two, four, sixteen, two-huundreed-fifthxy-six, six-five-five-three-siiix..."_

 _"Honestly! Memorizing the square roots without even learning how to count past one-thousand..." Gaster shook her head, his right eye opening and he looked down at his beautiful wife who beamed with pride. "HE'S A GENIUS JUST LIKE THIS FATHER! AND SOON, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER GENIUS..." She grinned as she looked down at her expanding stomach. It was almost as if she was human again... the skin that had hugged her spine just sudden began to expand itself into a womb to hold the little magical presence that was now Papyrus. Feeling his eyes upon her, Arial turned to Gaster and as the two neared for a kiss, little Sans inevitably got up. "Get dunked ON!" He shouted as loud as he could as he jumped up and landed on the small puppy Rex while the older dog Roxy caught him by his collar so that he would only hover above the puppy._

 _Flash_.

Frisk crawled to the opened photo album, lying on her belly as she read the caption which seemed to be written in two very different handwritings. "Our first picture in the underground. Also happened to be when Sans first began to walk. And said his first full sentence. MUCH LIKE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER. 'GET DUNKED ON!' Which is nothing to be proud of. IT SURE IS. Obviously, he's going to a genius-pranking-magician. OBVIOUSLY."

"A genius-pranking-magician...? Well he's pretty smart... and did prank me across time and space... and I guess his short cuts _are sorta_ like magic..." Frisk conceded, turning the page. "Awww... this is so cute..." Frisk squealed as she saw Sans staring with wide eye sockets at a very tiny and fragile Papyrus. She could see the same motherly person there on the bed with soft looking eyes that looked really happy, but really sad at the same time. While Sans was holding Papyrus, she could see that she was hugging the old dog from the last picture. The next picture seemed to have been taken a few moments later with the focus being Sans and Papyrus but Frisk could see in the background the mommy seemed to be crying. What happened? "Life ends and Life begins. It's a cycle, love. I'LL MISS ROXY, BUT I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE PAPYRUS."

Oh. Ooooh. Oh.

Flipping the page, Frisk noticed a familiar white flamed person. She was in Chara's memory. She seemed to be teaching Sans while Papyrus seemed to be sleeping beside the white puppy from the first picture. It had to be him... he was wearing the same 'Rex' collar. "I FOUND ANOTHER KODAK MOMENT! THEY LOOK SO PRECIOUS! I'M RUNNING OUT OF PHOTOGRAPHS I'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE, BUT THIS IS SO WORTH IT! MY LITTLE SANS WILL BE JUST LIKE HIS FATHER! IT WILL LOOK GREAT IN MY PHOTO ALBUM!"

Laughing, Frisk looked over to the next image. Chara. And the small goat child... And Sans. They all seemed to be playing in the garden, perhaps tag? Chara was smiling... and Sans seemed to be doing the same as he hid behind the small goat who seemed to be laughing nervously. "SO PRECIOUS! TORY THINKS ASRIEL AND CHARA ARE AN ITEM, BUT OBVIOUSLY, SANS AND CHARA ARE BETTER TOGETHER. JUST LOOK AT THAT CHEMISTRY! IT'S LIKE THEY MADE TO DANCE TOGETHER FOREVER!"

Dance.

 _Dance._

 _ **Dance.**_

Frisk shook her head, taking a deep breath as he regained her focus once more. Chara's voice seemed to echo inside of her head, emphasizing on dancing with Sans. Now that Frisk thought about it… Chara always seemed to be different around Sans. Hmm… oh well. Anyways… Why did it feel like this photo album was all about Sans? Frisk flipped through the pages, noticing a few more childhood pictures with all the same kodak instant photograph look until they stopped. It suddenly changed. The photographs didn't same the same white frame with white bottom where words were written.

The first odd picture was a picture of Papyrus' red scarf, a wooden dog, a book of puns and what looked like a plate of spaghetti. Words were written down underneath the glued photograph with what looked like Sans' hand writing. "the last plate of mom's spaghetti. papyrus refused to eat it because he thinks she's coming back. i found her red scarf in the dump today. i thought i might find mom's... i'ma bury roxy, it's what she'd want. i guess i'll add all the pictures i took at the lab and finish my photo album for her. no more happy memories to be added."

Frisk silently flipped through the rest of the pictures, noticing that in all of them Sans seemed really happy and surrounded by a lot of people in white lab coats, sorta like Dr. Alphys. The weird thing... she had never met any of them. She had traveled across the underground and met a lot of monsters and sure, she sometimes forgot about them but at least she'd remember their shape, or form. She... had never met any of them.

Closing the photo album, Frisk put back the personal item into its drawer and opened the next one. Inside, she found a lonely badge. 'Sans' it said, and had an image of him smiling, not grinning and wearing... glasses. He looked so... nerdy. And he was wearing a black blouse with a white coat on. A photograph of his upper torso, he looked... dashing in a nerdy sort of way. And he looked not lazy at all! Really clean and... organized... and...

... this is the _real_ Sans.

Frisk closed the door to the drawer, her eyes staring at a blue print that made no sense. "Dunkle Sans... who are you?" Frisk asked herself, opening the next drawer but finding only more blueprints that were written in a weird language. She turned to the big covered up experiment and noticed a lot of cob webs inside, along with regular dust. Old. Ancient. She could see a metal panel that looked broken, definitely broken. This wasn't going to work anytime soon.

Other than that, this room was barren. Still... what she found out, what she saw... It was enough. In all those photographs, Sans looked happy. Genuinely happy. He didn't seem to be grinning up until _after_ his mom passed away, but even then, Frisk could see the difference in his grin. Everything in this room was so... personal. Sure, it wasn't everything she hoped it would be, but it was something that she wasn't expecting either. Maybe it was something she'd learn and come to understand eventually.

After all, learning everything all at once is quite... overwhelming. Self-destructive even.

"This was a good start. Thanks Sans. Thanks for trusting me."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk turned the key and the door opened. The mysterious red house. Before she could take back the key, it somehow turned into red mist and disappeared... like a ghost. Weird.

Stepping inside, Frisk grinned. She LOVED this room! It reminded her so MUCH of her old room back in the old mansion where she used to live with her family. She liked this color of pink, which was more reddish than pink, by the looks of everything... it was as if it housed a girl. She noticed several notebooks on the floor. Hmm.

'Dear Diary:

Shyren's sister 'fell down' recently. It's sad. Without her sister to speak for her... She's become more reclusive than ever. So I reached out to her and told her... That she, Blooky and I should all perform together sometime. She seemed to like that idea.'

Frisk flipped through the rest of the pages which seemed to be filled with drawings and cut outs of pop stars and glamourous items. Hmm. She walked over to the next notebook.

'Dear Diary:

I like to buy a new diary for every entry I make. I love to collect diaries.'

Frisk closed the notebook, noticing that each one seemed to be decorated differently. They were all very pretty... she herself would have a hard time keeping just one too!

'Dearest Diary:

Our cousin left the farm to become a training dummy. That leaves just blooky and I. Blooky asked me if I was going to try to become corporeal, too. They sounded so... Resigned... Come on Blooky, you know I'd never leave you behind. And besides... I'd never find the kind of body I'm looking for, anyway."

Frisk put down the diary. Cousins... ghosts!? Wait! That pink ghost! That pink ghost they met at the labs on halloween! This is their house...? Why weren't they here? Why were they... missing?

Frisk continued.

'My Darling Diary:

I met someone... Interesting today. Last week I posted that advertisement for my Human Fanclub. Today was our first meeting. Only one other person came. Honestly, she's a dork. And she's obsessed with these awful cartoons. But she's kinda funny, too... I want to see her again.'

"A... dork? Cartoons...? Sounds familiar... OH! That's how Papy and Undyne described Dr. Alphys! W-wait a moment. Dr. Alphys knows Blooky's cousin...? Oh, duuuh Flor, she was in her lab. Hmm."

'Diary... My Dear:

My diary collection is going fabulously. I have like five now.'

Frisk laughed, closing the diary as she admired all the cutouts and rhinestones she had installed. It was certainly something to call fabulous!

'Dear Diary:

She surprised me with something today. Sketches of a body she wants to create for me... A form beyond my wildest fantasies! In a form like that, I could finally feel like... "myself" After all, there's no way I can be a star the way I am now. Sorry, Blooky. My dreams can't wait for anyone...'

BOMBSHELL! It hit Frisk like bricks. Dr. Alphys... her robot... fabulous... glamourous... a star... Blooky being all depressed... it all made sense now.

 _Oh my god_. She almost killed Mettaton... for realsy.

But Mettaton was okay. She did give her candy on halloween after all! Thank goodness. What about Blooky?

Running out the house, Frisk closed the door without locking it and walked to the other house, looking inside the windows first when she noticed a blur of pink.

Inside, Blooky and Metta seemed to be laughing as the house trembled under the bass that was his music. They seemed to be making music. With a smile, Frisk felt better now. She knew more about Mettaton and Dr. Alphys but... but she needed to help Dr. Alphys. Maybe delivering this letter...? Without haste, she made her way towards Gerson's item shop for a quick bite before making her way to Tem village.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Goodbye Gerson!" Waved Frisk as she ran off with a treat in her hands, turning back to the road ahead as she made her way to Temmie Village. Behind her, the old turtled gave a hearty laugh, his hand pulling on his long beard as he watched the little human run off to her death. Sure, she was charming. Very charming, even he would have a hard time knocking that precious angel dead with his hammer but such was life.

"Is she... really going to... to face him...?"

Hmmmm? Gerson turned to the mysterious river person, but realized something was off. White fur. "River Person, is that you...? Do my _old_ eyes deceive me, lass? You _are_ a lass, your voice sounds like one, but... but, you were neither a lass or laddy, me girl. Who are ya?"

Toriel took a step back, realizing that Gerson had yet to distinguish her voice. It had been many years, after all. "I'm... their long lost cousin. Swamp Girl." Toriel managed to say with a slightly adjusted voice that sounded just a bit deeper than the usual. "Swamp girl, eh? Better not be pullin me kilt! Bwua ha ha, if I still had me kilt! Ayy, please, come inside me shop! I'm Gerson, Gerson the shop keeper o'this fine swamp! Must be new 'round here, wa ha ha! Ayy... please, drink some tea! Tell me about yourself, _Swamp Girl_."

Toriel watched as Gerson pulled out two tea cups. Oh no. She knew Gerson better. The ol' tea extortion method. He didn't trust her. And his voice and tone... the way he spoke... he had changed because he wanted it to. Gerson, you sly ol' turtle... you haven't changed one bit. "Ah... thank you, kind Gerson, but I must be on my way... la la? I must reach River Person, my cousin... awaits, la la?" Toriel nervously replied, taking a few steps back before the turtle could pour tea. She had to evade his interrogation!

"Hm? Surely you have a few minutes, me girl." Gerson asked, but the mysterious Swamp Girl was too quick. "Thank you very much for the invitation, la la. But I must depart... la la."

 _Swamp Girl Fled._

Left behind in his shop, Gerson could only sip on his tea. Perhaps it was a dog? No... much too small. Too smart. Then... what? Who? They seemed particularly interested in the human girl, but they meant no harm, he was sure of it. Sometimes, Gerson missed the thrill of being younger and fighting but...

Sitting down, his knees trembled and soft 'crack' noises rumbled. "Too old to fight and move like I used to, but too young to sit here and wait... aye, why couldn't my children age just a bit more..."

With a long heavy sigh, Gerson closed his eyes. Perhaps it wasn't that his children hadn't aged enough. Perhaps it was all because of how powerful he had been, and how strong his fighting spirit was. Every time Undyne comes long, he swells up in pride. It's almost as if he could see himself in her, see ol' Ulfer in her.

Those were the days. And yet...

Breathing in, Gerson took an old book and opened it, smiling as he began to read. He had never learned the joy of reading for pleasure until he was in his elder stage. Ol' Roman was never particularly interested in reading or studying, but his spouse was, and therefore every now and then he'd dabble in. " _IT'S SO BORING! And yet... it's so relaxing! You know, Horatia and I found an ancient drawing and scripts the other day, and I must say, it's very, very interesting! Ancient monsters in the East were once GODS. They were worshipped and had amazing tales and epic poems written in their honor, or glory, or... horror. They lived alongside humans until... well... they disappeared, or died, killed by humans. Anyways, the drawing we found was of an ANGEL! And it had a story with it, the Angel is prophesized to..._ "

Gerson looked up and took a sip of his tea. "The Angel... I wonder what treasure trove of mystery and truth you uncovered that day, ol' laddy. We never got to find out the rest of your finding, eh?"

General Gerson, Commander of the Monster Army and elite Royal Guard Captain, was humbled down to a simple shop keeper who enjoyed learning new things in his old stage as an elder. This was his new job. It couldn't be compared to a life of thrills, fighting, adventure, and honor, but certainly there was a new found honor in discovery.

If he ever reached the surface... His wise mind and experience could unravel certain mysteries that younger, fresher minds might not.

After all...

Frisk had certainly restored his faith in humanity.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk laughed, waving at all the small temmies of temmie village as she went inside their shop. "hOI!" Temmie greeted, watching as Frisk took out a lump sum of gold. It was on her bucket list... she remembered she had come here once and that temmie told her she was trying to go to college. She was so cute... now that she had so much gold stashed away, Frisk felt that she couldn't use all of it up before the day ended and she... well... did her thing. And well... temmie needed the money, so why not?

"I have the money so you can go to college." Frisk stated with a smile as she pushed a heavy sum across the counter, noticing that Temmie seemed shocked. "WOA!"

Frisk laughed. "thas ALOT o muns... can tem realy acepts..." she asked nervously, but Frisk could only nod. "Yes! Please use it, it's too much money I've been saving up, and well, I just wanna help people before I leave. If my saved up money can help you, then let it!" Frisk happily replied.

"OKs! tem go to colleg and make u prouds!"

Frisk smiled as Temmie walked away, and so the little girl closed her bag and had begun to walk away when suddenly Temmie returned with a graduation hat on her head.

"tem bak from cool leg. tem learn MANY THINs. learn to sell new ITEM! yayA!"

Frisk chuckled, noticing that Temmie had put down a shiny armor. Woah. It... sorta looked her size. Walking back, Frisk noticed the price tag but also noticed that the armor was of supurb quality. It'd be really hard to get hurt... this was just what she needed. I guess it was a good thing she sent Temmie to college...?

"I'll buy it! Here, take my money!" Frisk quickly started taking out pieces of gold, noticing that Temmie looked just as equally shocked to see Frisk so loaded with muns. She _had_ stayed here for an entire year. Sans also gave her a 'cut' of sales from her concerts and she also had received a donation from MTT resort for her concert with Mettaton. Frisk had never really paid any attention to how much gold she was saving up, but she knew one day it would come in handy, and thank goodness! Sure, she spent a lot at Tem's shop, but it was worth it!

"tem armor so GOOds! any batttle becom! a EASY victories! but, hnn, tem think... if u use armors, battles woudn b a challenge anymores."

Frisk nodded, her eyes meeting Temmies for a moment. "...battling King Asgore might be really hard, you know?" Silently, Tem could only nod back as the little child took the armor into her hands and walked away.

...how do you even put this on?

Oh. Undyne should know. She wears armor.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Gerson sipped on his tea, savoring its flavor as the grunts of the child grew nearer. "Hey youngster, you seem to be struggling with that armor."

Frisk looked up with a nod, the armor falling out of her hands along with a wet letter. Dried tears seemed to be framing her cheeks, so... she had been crying, eh? "Well what seems to be the matter? Here, nothing ol' Gerson can handle. Maybe you'd like to sit and drink some tea before you go meddling in fights, eh?"

Frisk watched as the old Turtle easily picked up the armor and the wet envelope. Well... tea sounded good. It would certainly calm her down... and dry off her clothes too.

"Thank you, Gerson. I kinda fell down into the swamp water with everything and... and ruined the letter I was supposed to deliver." Frisk explained as she took off her sweater and shivered; her exposed arms felt the chilly cave air. Her old tank top was also wet... and her pants were drenched... "I have a lot of things to do before the day ends. Before the day ends, I have to meet up with King Fluffybuns again and we'll... I just have to finish my goodbyes and help as much as I can before I leave. I'm not going to run away, or stay here while all the hope of the world rests on me. I have to give it my all!" She sniffled with determined eyes.

Gerson slowly walked over to behind the counter and opened an old trunk. "Ah, the ol' swamp waters got the best of ye, eh? Ayye, I haven't heard such determination and honor in centuries, my, such fierce, fiery eyes like the scorchin' o'da sun as it sets 'ver horizon!"

"Huh?"

Gerson looked up, scratching his head. "Oh, sorry kid, I, I forget. See, an old turtle like me has lived a very, very long time. I get ta' speakin differently 'round new folks such as yourself, but honestly this is how this ol' geezer talks, kiddo, accent an'all. Ehem. But, I suppose you wouldn't understand me very well if I just spoke like that out of the blue, correct? Here. Try this t-shirt. I'll dry ya clothes."

Frisk blushed and nodded, taking the super large flowery t-shirt. It was HUGE. It smelled old, and like it hadn't been worn in a lot of years. "This isn't your shirt, right?" asked Frisk as she changed and the old turtled continued to rummage through his old trunk. "Of course not! Why, it belongs ta' ol' king fluffybuns." he chuckled, looking at all the mementos of his previous trainees. Arial's training shield, Asgore's training helmet, Undyne's water towel, Asriel's training swords and...

"Say child... do you intend to wear that armor?" he asked, staring at Chara's sewing kit which he had confiscated from her the day she meant to sew up a training injury. That child never wore any sort of amor... she was all about offense. No mercy. The trainee who had soaked up his lessons but did nothing for defense. She took a bittersweet pride in her scars in a frightening sort of way unlike Undyne.

"Y-yes! I... I don't want to fight, but I don't want to get seriously hurt either... so..."

Looking up, the old turtle laughed when he saw the tee fit like a long pijama that reached her ankles and bared one shoulder. "Well... I haven't seen an armor this good since one of the ol' tommies forged one many years ago. The tommies used to be good blacksmiths back in their heyday, forging many suits of armor that the great monster elite would wear. Ever since coming down into the underground, the tommies have... well, no tommies but we have temmies and they have become rather special. A long time ago, The tommies were like temmies, and they'd have black fur. Fearsome warriors and blacksmiths... then there were the temmies, and somehow... well, now we have only temmies. Anyways, the history of the tommies and the temmies is best left for another time, child. Let's see... this ol' hammer should get most of the water out. Please stand back dear."

Frisk's eyes widened as the old turtle straightened out his back and grasped the big heavy hammer with one arm. Holy mackerel! How could he lift something so heavy!?

"If I were younger, it'd probably take one good swing to make all this laundry dry, but maybe another swing should do it. Alrighty... Heaveeeee... HO!"

Frisk fell back at the sheer amount of power behind his swing, her mouth left agape as the turtle swung his hammer in the direction of the clothes that were hanging on a rock meant to hold things. Probably his cane. She saw the way the clothes moved and trembled, and the water seemed to rain down on the ground as though it had been a mere air dryer. She turned to the old turtle who seemed to be inspecting the clothes. "Ngh... too gentle on the laundry, eh? Fine, three more swings should do it! Don't want'ta make holes on it."

"Woah... you're super strong!" Frisk exclaimed, watching as the turtle gave another swing, followed by another, and another. She could see that he had not broken into a sweat at all... wow. He could probably fight King Asgore and win... he looked so super strong, even though he looked so frail...

"Why of course child! Back in the old days, I used to be general of the... w-well I used to be captain of the royal guard once upon a time. Way before Undyne, waaaay back before you were probably born."

The child's eyes glimmered. "Tell me more!"

Gerson's eyes widened for a moment, a gentle smile forming as he slowly walked back to the back of the counter. "A scholar, aren't we? It warms my ol' heart to know that young'ins still crave to know about the times when I used to be your size. Well, back when I was just a wee-lil'soft shell, King Hector and her majesty, Queen Casmore were just about my age and had their engagement party at the palace. Their promise as King and Queen were to unravel the mysteries! Back in those days, a lot of the world was still unknown. Well. The eastern half of the world was unknown, but stories of great heroes and villains could drift over to our continent. Ayee, I was bedazzled by the stories! Fearsome monsters with several heads! Monsters whose snake hair could petrify! Ayee, all these stories had one thing in common: a hero! A mortal hero or a monster hero! Aye... we didn't understand why these monsters were... mean or evil, or what-have-ya, but they were myths, stories told by humans and monsters that traveled from the eastern side of the world. Myths. Legends. These stories had supposedly passed maaaaaany years ago, EONS even! But later on, King Hector and his friend, Dr. Caswell were determined to find the root of it all. After all... rumors and stories about monsters being powerful gods, some evil, were bad news for our kingdom. Don't get me wrong, The Bergentrückung Kingdom was full of nice monsters. Crime seemed non-existent. Yet... yet there were many a few monsters who gave us a bad reputation. But that's why we had the royal guard! They'd guard the kingdom and the king from all harm, but above all, they were the guardians of our kingdom. They'd stop all crime! And that's why I decided to join the guard. Training was tough! But I was set on becoming the captain! In the Royal Academy, I met Ulfer, a strong merman who would later on become co-captain with me. We eventually met King Hector, and boy, was he one HECK of a goat! Golden hair, blue eyes, wooo-weee, he was one dashing goat. His fighting was just as fair as his eyes; I tell ya. We were the dream team, solving problems that would arise, and taking care of monsters _and_ humans who would seek shelter in the mountainous area. I became captain of the royal guard one day when I beat Ulfer to saving King Hector from..."

Frisk stared at the old turtle with interest in her eyes, nodding slowly as though to tell him to go on but the turtle hesitated. There was a lot he wished to keep from the child. This was one of things. "...from a bad, bad monster. W-well, mostly all monsters, if not, all monsters, are good, but... uh... well, at the time, there was a... a sickness, going around. A really nasty sickness. It would affect monsters in a bad way that uh... drove them just a little crazy. Maybe really crazy. Anyways, this monster was awful, and it ambushed us as we escorted King Hector. My shell proved impregnable to attacks, and so, I saved the king using my shell, then used my hammer of justice to... to _gently_ knock out the monster."

Frisk looked slightly scared, but she seemed to have bought his edited story. What a relief. If this child knew half the things Gerson had done in his past... well... he doubted it'd make a difference. She was no fighter; he could see it in her eyes. Pure, innocent eyes. In their earlier meetings, those eyes of hers were ambiguous, sheltering some sort of evil inside of them but now he could see them clearly for some reason. He could see a surreal amount of pain, but... but she looked strong.

Turning around, the turtle walked to the front of his shop and stood there with his arms cross. "Get dressed, child. The day's not getting any younger. I'll help you adjust that armor, I'm sure I can do it better than Undyne, wa ha ha!"

As the child got dressed, Gerson looked down at his green turtle paws. What was he about to do? Was he truly going to help the human?

Damnit! Tarnation! She got to him too.

Letting out a long sigh, he shook his head. " **A strong defense will shield her from harm for as long as it holds. It will not guarantee her safety... I have taught Asgore too well. Perhaps not well enough to finish her off in a few hits. If only I could save her the agony of it. One strong hit from my hammer, painless. But this child has chosen to defend while continuing onward with her head held high. It is an honorable path she has chosen... I will honor her with my best**."

Once she had finished dressing, the old turtle silently dressed her with the shining armor that one of the tommies had forged many eons ago. An armor meant for a ghoul. It was clear as day, those initials that had been scratched on the back of the breastplate. T.N.R. Times New Roman. Undoubtedly, it had to be the armor he had commissioned before the war, the one he never got to wear. This work of art was nowhere near finished of course, and by the looks of it, the temmies had this thing stowed away for learning purposes. He could see scratches and stains as though they were trying to figure out the formula for its creation. Probably gave up and decided to sell it to the kid who was full of gold.

"Thank you, Gerson. I feel so much safer now..."

The old turtled silently nodded, but before she could take a step he silently stopped her with his hand. "Please wait a moment."

The child watched as the turtle silently removed a large piece of scale off its shell, his old gaze looking at her hand. "The armor on my shell is the best of the best. Don't worry about me, my shell continues to make scales, even at my old age and this one was fixin' to fall. Let me tinker with my trainee's old shield strap, it won't take more than five minutes."

Frisk drank her sea tea while Gerson seemed to be behind the counter, and all she could hear was the sound of metal and his hammer hitting something. Was he a blacksmith too? She could see sparks fly, but she dared not peek.

"And it's finished. As for your watered letter, I suggest you request a new letter. Wear this turtle shield with pride, my little soft skinned human. Should an attack aim for your head or upper body, simply bring your arm up, like this. It should hold out against almost anything."

Frisk stared as Gerson tied the straps around her right arm so that it was well adjusted much like her armor. She felt really safe now. The scale was about the size of her forearm in length and width, but it was super light. It would shield her face and neck just nicely.

Silently, the turtle waved off the girl who ran down towards the river bank, back to her original mission. "If only my sons had accepted my gift to them just like this girl. It's hard to root against you, Frisk."

*********°*********•*********°*********

"What? You LOST the letter!?" Undyne busted out, but she didn't seem mad at all. Frisk stared at her as she continued. "What the HECK!? How!? Why!?"

Calmly, Frisk explained. "I was in Waterfalls, and I had just left temmie village with my new armor in my arms and, well, its heavy when it's in your arms so I sorta fell into the water and... it got all watery. The ink got all goopy."

Undyne sighed and closed her eyes, but felt a surge of relief. At the same time, she was wondering WHERE in the HECK she got that awesome armor, though it looked unfinished. Still. BIGGER MATTERS!

"Ughhh... This is unbelievable. I should be really disappointed in you. But, uh, to tell you the truth, I'm kind of relieved!"

Frisk smiled when she noticed the blush and a smile creep up on Undyne's expression. SUCCESS!?

"While you were gone, I actually wrote a WAY BETTER letter! And this time, you WONT lose it! I guarantee it!"

And just like that, that little bundle of armor ran off once more. "IS THAT ARMOR SHE WAS WEARING?" Papyrus asked as he passed Undyne a hot cup of cocoa. "Yeah! That little squirt must've bought it or someone made it for her. She must have a lot of cool friends other than us, huh?"

Papyrus grinned. "NOT AS COOL AS I, THE GRRRREEEAT PAPYRUS!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Waiting on the river bank, River Person chuckled. "Tra la la, so filled with life~ La, di, la, you bring me life~ La, bi, da, sailing to now...?~"

Frisk shivered a bit as she balanced herself in the slightly rocking boat. "TO HOTLAND! Please and thank you, River Person." She smiled with red cheeks. A child wearing a breast place, a buckler, striped sweater, jean capris and an old tutu with old ballerina shoes that seemed to have been fixed several times... Indeed, River Person never thought they'd see the day. Such an odd child, but definitely the hope of all humanity and monstrosity.

"Tra la la. Humans, monsters... Flowers."

Frisk grasped the purple flower on her ear, adjusting it as she blushed and looked down at her turtle shell buckler. Everyone's hopes were riding on her, and she will gladly accept any help that would help her attain everyone's dreams and hopes. If his shell could help her live a little longer... maybe, just maybe, she could find a way with that precious time to make things right. Every second counted, and this armor may have just given her a lot of precious time to figure out her game plan. Thinking about keeping her spirit up, the rest of the boat ride passed by quickly and she had arrived to Hotland in no time.

"Thank you!" Frisk shouted as she jumped out of the boat and ran up the hill towards the laboratories. River Person could only watch from afar, the scent of the purple flower trailing behind. From inside the hoodie of River Person, a familiar skeleton clung to the scent. What a relaxing and soothing smell! She hoped her flower's calming and soothing scent could help the little girl. Perhaps, they already did? Settling her fears, filling her with hope…

The girl came to a stop and she SAVED when she saw the SAVE point. What was in this letter anyways...? Hmm. Undyne said not to read it. It was best to deliver it. It was from Undyne, after all... maybe it would motivate Dr. Alphys? Make her smile?

Puffing out her chest, Frisk walked to the doors of the lab but noticed there wasn't a mailbox or a slot. Well... maybe if she pushed it through the slit on the bottom of the door? Was there even...?

Inspecting the door, Frisk grinned when she realized the door did indeed have enough space for the evelope. Thank goodness!

Slipping the envelope underneath the door, Frisk knocked on the door and felt a relief on her shoulders. Her last mission... done. And now...

And now...

...now...

She gulped. Was she ready? What about Dr. Alphys?

Frisk turned around and was about to start walking back towards the castle when she heard that familiar voice from behind the door.

 _"O-oh n-no, is that another letter...? I don't want to open it... C-can't I just slide it back out...?"_

Frisk turned around once more, looking at the door with confusion. This wasn't the first time she got a letter... and she seemed nervous...? Maybe if she just explained...?

"N... no... I can't keep doing this. I'll read this one."

Success! She was going to read the letter! Good job, Flor! Should she stand here...? Should she get going...?

"Um... I-it's shut k-kind of strongly, isn't it? Wait a second..."

Frisk perked up but was startled when she heard a loud machine behind the door. What the HECK? Maybe she should stay around a bit longer.

After a while, Frisk saw the door open, and Dr. Alphys came out with sad eyes that looked down to the ground. "Hey, if this is a joke, it's..."

Frisk tilted her head, confused as to why it would be a joke. What did she mean? What was on the letter?

"Oh my god." Dr. Alphys smiled nervously, staring at the child as she began to blush. "Did YOU write this letter? It wasn't signed, so I had no idea who could have... Oh my god. Oh no."

Frisk took a step back, blushing with confusion as to what was happening. What the HECK was happening? What did Undyne write...?

"That's adorable..." Dr. Alphys cooed with a blush, which in turn made Frisk blush all the harder. Huh?!

"And I h-had no idea you, um, wrote that way! It's surprising too... After all the gross stuff I did... I don't really deserve to be forgiven. Much less... um... This? And so passionately too."

Frisk could feel her burning cheeks slowly burn a bit less, but she was super confused. She wanted to tell Dr. Alphys that she forgave them, but as soon as the word 'passionately' rolled off her tongue, Frisk's tongue was once more tied. Huh...? What in the world did Undyne write...?

"You know what, okay! I'll do it! It's the least I can do to make it up to you! Y-yeah! Let's go on a date!"

 _Let's go on a date!_

 _Go on a date!_

 _On a date!_

 _A Date_

 _Date_.

... A date!?

Frisk shook her head, looking around as she felt herself in another date with a monster... except... she actually didn't flirt with her... and... never asked... and... a date?

Wait a darn minute! Undyne! She wanted to go on a date with Dr. Alphys!?

Frisk gulped, looking around but Dr. Alphys had gone back inside to get ready for the date. Frisk had no idea how long she had been waiting, probably because she was still trying to comprehend what the heck just happened. The words just... echoed in her mind. She was on a date again... but it wasn't monster kid. She told herself the next monster she'd date was monster kid, but... apparently not. Welp... might as well. Dr. Alphys did look a lot more exited and lively, after all. Maybe this boosted her confidence? This was good although... would Undyne kill her...?

...Frisk didn't want to think about it.

"Uhhh... sorry! I'm still getting dressed!" Frisk could hear from inside the labs. Oh boy. A date with Dr. Alphys who Undyne was trying to Date... exciting! Just how would Undyne respond to this...?

Frisk blushed once more when she saw Dr. Alphys run out of the lab with a black polka dotted dress. She was so nervous! But... so cute! It was hard for Frisk to not blush at all! "So... cute..." she whispered as her hands slapped her cheeks gently with shock. Wow!

Dr. Alphys could feel the sweat roll down her face. "H-how do I look?" she asked, gulping afterward. "My friend helped me pick out this dress. She's got a great sense of... Um, anyway! Let's do this thing!"

Frisk grinned. "Okay! Dating... Start!" Frisk exclaimed as she jumped up but stopped the moment Dr. Alphys shook her head and covered her head. "H-h-hey w-w-wait! Actually, we still can't start the date yet!"

Frisk gulped. "Dating... stop?" she asked nervously, not knowing what to say at this point. Dr. Alphys fumbled with her thumbs nervously, her heart beat racing as she recalled steps to dating as per the dating simulators in the videogames she played. "Um, I've gotta give you items to raise your affection statistic, first! That'll increase the chance of a successful outcome to a date. Right...?"

Frisk's blush has disappeared by now, and silently the little girl shrugged with confusion still very deep in her eyes. What in the heck was she talking about?

Dr. Alphys could see that Frisk seemed lost. Hm. Maybe she didn't know how to properly date someone...? "Anyway, d-don't worry! I'm prepared! I-I've been stockpiling gifts in anticipation for a date like this! F-first I got... some metal armor polish!"

Frisk smiled, and looked down at her armor but realized... it was shining so brightly. It was super polished!

"Um, maybe you can't use that. But! I also bought some waterproof cream for your scales! Your uh... scales..."

Frisk's smile slowly began to creep back, and her blush also began to appear. Oh my GOD. Another BOMBSHELL! Dr. Alphys likes Undyne back!

"Uh, well, how about... This magical spear repair kit, that I... Um..."

By now, Frisk stared at Dr. Alphys with a sly smile and eyes, her eyebrows rising in a funny sort of way. Oh no! Frisk was going to find out about her crush if she kept giving away hints like that! She needed to change the subject quick! "Hey, let's forget about the items! Let's just start the date!"

Frisk breathed in, rubbing her hands together before clapping. "Dating! Start!" She exclaimed with a laugh rolling in at the end. "Yeah! Let's, uh, date!"

Frisk grinned staring at Dr. Alphys who stared back. And stared.

And Stared.

And Stared.

"Uh..."

Frisk gulped. She really didn't think about it this far into the date. What was she going to say? Do? She couldn't really flirt with Dr. Alphys... she didn't know her that well and it was hard to think of things she might like...?

"Do you... like... Anime...?" she asked nervously. Frisk snapped out of her thought bubble. Anime...? Oh. The cartoons right? "Yeah." Frisk nodded.

Dr. Alphys blushed as she perked up. "H-hey! Me too!"

Frisk smiled, but just like that, it became awkward again. Oh no! Quickly, Flor! Think of conversation starters! Breathing in, Frisk was about to say something when Dr. Alphys interrupted her.

"Hey! Let's! Go somewhere! But where's a good place to go on a date...?"

Frisk let out the air she had breathed in so deeply, her mind going blank. A dating spot? DUH! Waterfall, with all the echo flowers! She and monster kid went there all the time and he looked so cute...

"I've got it! Let's go to the garbage dump!"

EH?

Frisk blinked, but before she could say her mind, Dr. Alphys had already begun to walk. Hmm... well if this place made Dr. Alphys feel more confident... Might as well. It's not like she was actually dating her for real-sies. Silently, Frisk followed Dr. Alphys.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The day passed on slowly, but thankfully, Dr. Alphys wasn't too slow. Frisk could see it was still quite early today. She had enough time to finish this mission today... whatever her mission was now.

"Here we are! This is where Undyne and I come all the time... We find all sorts of great stuff here. Heh, she's really... uh..."

Frisk blushed with a sly smile, giggling to herself when suddenly the soft silence turned into magical music. Music that sounded... dangerous.

"Oh no. That's her over there. I c-can't let her see me on a date with you!" Dr. Alphys panicked, sweat once more dripping down her forehead.

Oh? Frisk smiled and narrowed her eyes a little, her eyebrows once more bouncing. "Why's that, Dr. Alphys~?" She asked almost as though she were singing, her eyes fluttering while the good Dr. Alphys could only continue to panic.

"Why...? Because... uh... well... Oh no, here she comes!"

Frisk giggled as Dr. Alphys hid behind a large trashcan that had been behind her. Conveniently large enough to hide her! Oh boy! What should Frisk do...?

"Hey! There you are!" Undyne shouted, walking over to her as she moved her head so that the bangs over her eyepatch could move just a little over to the left. "I, uh, realized if you deliver that thing... It might be a bad idea. So I'm going to do it! Give it to me!"

Frisk took a step back, sweat slowly rolling down her forehead now. Oh boy... what a change of direction this turned out to be. What was she supposed to tell Undyne? She looked sorta scary, with what, looking angry and frustrated and nervous all at the same time.

"I don't have it..." Frisk simply replied timidly.

Undyne straightened out her back, looking quite shocked. "Huh!? You don't have it!?Ngggaaahhh!" she growled and screamed into the sky, letting out her frustration for a moment before composing herself. Were the monster gods really set on making this harder than it had to be... than what she made it to be...!?

"Have you at least seen her!?"

Frisk looked at the trashcan. She had come between the two lovers... she had to reunite them! "Yeah, I've seen her." Frisk truthfully replied.

"So she's somewhere around here... Thanks I'll keep looking." Undyne replied in a hurried tone, scurrying off in search of her without paying mind to the way Frisk tried to silently stop her.

Standing quite overlooked, Frisk could only sigh.

"Oh my god. W... Well, I guess it's obvious, huh? I... uh... really like her. I mean, more than I like other people! I'm sorry. I j-just figured, y-you know... It'd be f-fun to go on, a cute, kind of... Pretend date with you? T-to make you feel better?"

Frisk stared at Dr. Alphys, feeling slight... weird. This was a pretend date? OH MY GOD. THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL! So it wasn't just Frisk who felt awkward and weird because they didn't _like_ them, _like_ them. Smiling with a huge relief on her shoulders, Frisk laughed, but Dr. Alphys continued, thinking that her laughter was actually her trying to downplay her sadness.

"Well, it sounds even worse when I put it like that. I'm sorry. I messed up again. Undyne's the person I... um... really want to go on a date with. But I mean... She's way out of my league. N-not that you aren't, um, cool! B-but... Undyne..."

Frisk blushed but felt a slight bit insulted at the same time. Frisk was really cool! Right!? Her 'um' really made Frisk wonder if maybe she wasn't as cool as Papyrus.

"She's so confident... And strong... And funny... And I'm just a nobody. A fraud. I'm the royal scientist, but... All I've ever done is hurt people. I've told her so many lies, she thinks I'm... She thinks I'm a lot cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she'll... She'll find out the truth about me."

Woah. **"This... feels really heavy..."** Frisk thought to herself, realizing she had a decision to make. "Dr. Alphys... you have to tell her the truth..." Frisk urged her, her eyes sparkling with hope. Her momma had always told her that the truth was the best option! Even if it had consequences, her mind would be at ease. Dr. Alphys looked so nervous, so scared, and down all the time, she needed one less thing to worry about.

"The truth...? But if I tell her that, she'll hate me. Isn't it better this way? To live a lie where both people are happy... Or a truth were neither of us are? They say 'be yourself', but I don't really like who 'myself' is. I'd rather just be whatever makes people like me. Eheheh..."

Frisk shook her head gently, offering a tender smile. "No Dr. Alphys... you should be yourself, just like I'm myself now. Sure, not everyone likes me at first, but... people will learn to accept you for who you are. You shouldn't give up!"

Dr. Alphys looked down. "No, you're right. Every day I'm scared. Scared what will happen if people learned the truth on their own. They'll all get hurt because of me... But how can I tell UNDYNE the tr... truth? I d-don't have the confidence... I'm going to mess it up. How can I practice!?"

Frisk stared at Dr. Alphys, a sly smile once more appearing on her face. "Let's role play it!"

Dr. Alphys blush a bit, looking a bit surprised. "R... roleplay? ...That actually sounds kinda fun! OK, which one of us will be Undyne?" she asked, to which Frisk simply replied that she would be undyne. "Oh. Right. Obviously. Ehehe. Ehem. H-hi Undyne... H-how are you today?"

Frisk grinned much like Undyne could would. "YOu're Cute!"

Surprised, Dr. Alphys stammered. "Th... thanks! You say that to me a lot, and I never know what to say! But I know you just, mean it platonically, because we're just friends! Eheheh!"

Frisk slowly got closer, her eyebrows once more bouncing as she smiled that sly smile. Oh, she knew where this was going. Dr. Alphys was getting nervous, but this was good. She was bound to pick up on it!

"Uhhh so I'd like to, um, talk to you about something."

Frisk grinned. "THEN SHe Kisses YOu." Frisk stated in a slight sultry type of tone that only a flirtatious girl could pull off. It was what Dr. Alphys knew as, the teasing tone.

"WH-WHAT!? UNDYNE WOULD NEVER, UH..." Dr. Alphys exclaimed as loudly as he had ever done, but immediately she picked up on it. Frisk stared at her until she could see that nervous dinosaur like monster ease up. "I kiss her back... S... softly... I... l-look gently into her eyes... I START HOLLERING!"

Frisk took a few steps back, started by how loud Dr. Alphys was getting. Oh my goodness. Maybe her plan was backfiring?

"UNDYNE! I LOVE YOU! UNDYNE! KISS ME AGAIN. UNDYNE!"

Frisk turned to the left, noticing that Undyne was rushing over with shock bulging out of her eye. Oh no! "Dr. Alphyyyssss" hissed Frisk in a whisper but she only kept screaming.

"WHAT did you just say?" Undyne's voice broke Alphys' focus, thereby causing her to fall back in utter shock and humiliation. "U... Undyne! I... was... just..."

A smile appeared on Undyne's expression, and Frisk felt more at ease. "Hey, woah, wait a second! Your outfit's really cute! What's the occasion?"

Frisk grinned looking at Undyne with a blush. TIME FOR THE REVEAL! Taking a deep breath, Frisk was ready speak when Undyne herself jumped to conclusions. Blushing... cuteness... it could only mean one thing.

"Are you two... On a date?" asked Undyne, trying to keep a straight face but inside she could feel her heart start crumble. Dr. Alphys... and the human...? WHAT THE HECK DID DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!? SINCE WHEN!?

"UHHH YES!" Squealed Dr. Alphys with a loud voice, her eyes looking just as shocked as Undyne's. "I mean, UHHH NO! I mean, we were, but, I mean, actually we were only romantically roleplaying as you!"

Frisk could feel Undyne's eyes on her, and BOY was that very unnerving. Frisk could only stand in place, not knowing if spears would fly any moment now. Thankfully, Dr. Alphys finally explained herself in a somewhat very long explanation that Frisk wished would've been shorter.

"WHAT?" boomed Undyne's voice, looking at the two with confusion.

Dr. Alphys's forehead produced even more sweat. "I MEAN!" she yelped, but her eyes caught a glance of Frisk who shook her head and seemed to be begging for her to stop it with her eyes. Taking a quick breath, Dr. Alphys looked down. "I mean... Undyne... I... I've been lying to you!"

Frisk's eyes quickly rolled over to Undyne who seemed shocked now. "WHAT? ABOUT WHAT?" she boomed, but seemed concerned instead of displeased. All that Frisk could do now was just watch... it was like a novela now.

"About... well... Everything! I told you that seaweed was like... scientifically important... Really I just... I just use it to make ice cream! And those human history books I keep reading... Those are just dorky comic books! And the history movies... those... Those are just, uh, anime! They aren't real! And that time I told you I was busy with work on the phone... I... Was just eating frozen yogurt in my pijamas! That time I..."

Frisk held her hands together, watching as Dr. Alphys slowly inched closer to Undyne. Was it going to happen? Frisk could only hope.

"Alphys." Undyne simply said, stopping Dr. Alphys' long rant. The peachy monster looked up with sparkling eyes that were a sea of nervousness and just as soon as they caught a glimpse of Undyne, she looked down. "I... I just wanted to impress you! I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool. That I wasn't some... nerdy loser."

Frisk gasped, watching as Dr. Alphys blushed and held in her tears. "Alphys." Undyne once again, almost as if she were still trying to process all that had been said. "Undyne, I... I really think you're neat, OK..."

Undyne quickly knelt down and embraced Alphys when the first tear fell down. "Alphys. Shhh. Shhhhhh." Her hand gently rubbed the back of her back, but at the same time... ALPHYS! Her fierce eye looked up and she noticed Papyrus standing there, also trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Giving him a wink, Undyne picked up Dr. Alphys and looked at the trashcan.

Papyrus looked at the trash can, then looked at the basketball hoop he had picked up earlier. OH! Another round of shooting hoops, it seems! Earlier while searching for Dr. Alphys, they had been playing around with this hoop he had found, and were making shots into different kinds of trash... a trashcan this time? NO PROBLEM FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! He timed his reaction to Undyne's muscle flexes, and thus he opened the trashcan's lid and positioned the hoop in place. DON'T MISS!

Frisk had been watching the two lovers, and she could 'aww'. Just like the novelas her mother used to watch. But certainly, what happened next was something Frisk did not see coming at all. Undyne, with all her enormous strength, had picked up Dr. Alphys and... thrown her!? OH MY GOD! INTO THE TRASH! AND WHERE DID THAT BASKETBALL HOOP COME FROM!?

"...Undyne...?" Frisk whispered, hearing her heroic music erupt.

"Alphys! I... think you're neat, too, I guess. But you've gotta realize... Most of what you said really doesn't matter to me! I don't care if you're watching kid cartoons or reading history books. To me, ALL of that stuff if just NERDY CRAP! What I like about you is that you're PASSIONATE! You're ANALYTICAL! It doesn't matter what it is! YOU CARE ABOUT IT! 100-PERCENT! AT MAXIMUM POWER! ... so you don't have to lie to me. I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore. Alphys... I want to help you become happy with who you are! And I know just the training you need to do that!"

Frisk could feel herself moved by Undyne's speech although... throwing Dr. Alphys seemed a little excessive. Unbeknown to Frisk, Papyrus was also moved by the speech was already crying tears of happiness silently.

"Undyne..." Spoke Dr. Alphys as she moved the lid and looked outside. "You...Y-you're going to train me...?" she asked as her pupils dilated into hearts, and her blush intensified so much that it could be seen from the outside.

Undyne chuckled. "Pffft, what? ME?" she asked, her eyes looking at Papyrus and silently motioning him to make his appearance from behind the pile to her left, just right in the center. **"OH! I'M MOVING UP!"** Papyrus thought to himself as he quickly moved his legs and made his grand entrance.

Undyne laughed. "Nah, I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it." And just like that, The Great Papyrus jumped out from the pile of junk and into the center of the scene. "GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN'! IT'S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!" Papyrus chimed, happy to know that Undyne was finally giving him an apprentice! It meant that she trusted him! That he was stepping closer to becoming a royal guard, just like her!

Undyne chuckled. "Ready? I'm about to start the timer!" she asked, taking out a watch and looking at Alphys' trash can. "Undyne... I'll do my best...!" Dr. Alphys shouted with enthusiasm as she kicked her feet out of the trashcan and began to run with Papyrus following behind her.

Frisk smiled warmly, walking over to Undyne when suddenly, her heroic music began to speed up. Startled, Frisk looked up and noticed she looked to be panicking.

"OH MY GOD! She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons... those comics... Those are still real, RIGHT!? ANIME'S REAL, RIGHT?!"

Frisk took a step back, feeling slightly guilty over the answer she was about to give Undyne. Well, as much as Frisk wanted Anime to be real, she knew that... well... it couldn't be. When she fell down, she thought she was in an anime herself... a cartoon, a fairy tale. But if all that stuff Undyne watches doesn't happen outside of here then... it can't be real. Not wanting to think about the ugliness of the surface anymore, Frisk shook her head. "I'm sorry. Anime isn't real, Undyne."

"No... NO!" screamed Undyne, shaking her head with saddened. "I CAN FEEL MY HEART BREAKING INTO PIECES!"

Frisk shook her head. "Undyne, it's okay! When I fell down, I thought _this world_ was like anime. I mean, sure, the surface is really... not what one expects sometimes, but you _learn_ to love it and accept it, and make it magical for yourself. You learn new things that make life really good!"

The fishwoman stared at Frisk. "...no, I can survive this... I have to be strong. For Alphys. Thank you, human, for telling me the truth. I'll try my best to live in this world... See you later!"

"Frisk?" MK asked himself, hiding behind a pile of trash as he watched his idol walk off and leave behind the girl who would only throw herself into the golden flowers and look up. She wasn't gone yet. A part of him wanted to go up to her and beg her to stay with him—that they'd go to school and grow up together—but that wasn't going to happen, huh? She was a human, and he was a monster. Gerson told him she'd die before he even reached adulthood—even if he grew up pretty fast. That humans aged faster.

"She's so pretty..." MK mused, watching as she eventually got up and began to head out. Was she finally going to leave? Would he muster up the courage to run after her? His window of opportunity was closing! Frisk!

His right leg vibrated in place, the water causing ripples as he told his legs to go forward but he was glued in place. What was he going to do? She made up her mind. What did he have to offer? Sans and Papyrus had a home and a room just for her, but she still chooses to go to the surface... to her... parent. All MK had was this place.

He turned back to the small cave where he lived, and he lowered his head. What if he got a job? But... no one was going to hire him, not yet at least. Even then, what then? Frisk didn't care about shelter, or things, heck, she always let him borrow a ton of money when she noticed he was hungry. Frisk...

He looked up and noticed she was on the phone. Frisk!

Vibrating in place, Monster Kid's thoughts all swarmed together. FRISK!

"W-wait!" He yelped, his legs finally moving forward, but foot had immediately tripped over a tire on the floor. "W-aaah!"

 _Splash_.

MK shook his head, looking around and getting up as quickly as he could, rolling around a bit due to the tire but once he was back on his feet he realized it was too late. Frisk was gone.

"...wait... don't go." he whispered, looking towards the entrance of the dump. Should he go after her? But where did she go?

"...I can't lose my only friend just yet..."

*********°*********•*********°*********

"How pathetic…" the electronic voice spoke, watching the small monster shake off the water as he took his first steps into the direction where Frisk had gone to. The perfectly intact body of W.D. Gaster stood watching with his hands behind his back, his expressionless face shifting to a smirk as a familiar angel appeared beside him. "He's a sweet monster, isn't he? Gaster, I thought you'd be in a much better mood!" She spoke, crossing her arms as she looked over to the man who had begun to chuckle. "Indeed, I am in a much better mood. I found the door. I found the room. I… existed for a brief moment, though my form was something that leaves much to be desired."

Florencia giggled a little, glancing down unto his hands which were in front him as he contemplated them. That scar she had left him that other day was still there… oddly enough. The angel turned her head away as she felt a rush of heat on her cheeks the moment she realized his gaze upon her. "You can change your form freely in this dimension—why do you continue to have that silly scar on your hand?" She asked as she looked away, her arms tightening under her breasts that rested on her arms. She could still feel the cold remnants of the icy circlet around her wrist. The same could be asked of her, huh?

Letting out a long sigh, Dr. W.D. Gaster took a step forward, his eyes glancing in the general direction of where he had last seen Arial in real life. "An obnoxious phantom which calls itself an 'angel' appeared in this universe. Its recent appearance in the timeline could be derived from Chara's tampering with the code around our world. Needless to say, her appearance in my realm has uncovered my sense of logic and sentimentality that I lost when I was emotionally wrought with grief and maddened by despair and eternal exile. In a sense, this 'angel' has done her part as a messenger, or guidance of sorts. Not only did you help guide my son, who I have hurt the most, but you also took the time and effort to guide me, a person whom the world had forgotten. Even in my darkest hours, you stood by me, and I suppose we've come to a certain point where we both learned and took something from each other. I can't think of a more patient and kinder person than Ariel, but you—you certainly fit that bill. Even Ariel would've had a hard time taming the monster I had become. So… I suppose what I'm trying to say…"

The angel turned around slowly, noticing the fine lines in his expression that gave away his inability to say it. "You're welcome, Gaster." Florencia simply responded, noticing the sudden purple blush that had appeared on his ghoulish face. She supposed she could see what Arial had seen in that man. A handsome young ghoul too uptight to let himself be flexible, that, when it came to saying sorry, he'd fumble his eloquent words.

As silence enveloped the two ghosts, the splashing of the small monster broke their awkward moment. "I almost forgot to close the door to my cave! But after this, I'm REALLY going after Frisk!" MK spoke to himself, running towards the cave in the wall where he lived.

"…Shall we continue to look after this little monster, Gaster?" Florencia asked she cleared her throat, noticing that Gaster had done the same. "Y-Yes! This orphan and I have been meeting a lot today. Surely, he will lead us to where we need to be. Perhaps we'll run into Toriel again." Gaster spoke, following MK as he dashed through the shallow waters of the dump.

Behind them, the guardian angel giggled, her cool wrist jingling with the small circlet of ice around it.

Flor… Frisk… All this progress. It was not going to be in vain.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Tra la la. The angel is coming... Tra la la."

Frisk calmly sat on the boat, admiring the wagging of the tail that the wooden boat seemed to do. "The angel? What angel?" asked Frisk, but as usual, River Person didn't seem to answer her. Still, River Person's words sometimes seemed to be like hints! Maybe... maybe she was hinting that her guardian angel was going to protect her! That maybe she shouldn't lose all hope!

"My guardian angel... I guess I have many now..." Frisk sadly wondered, beginning to get up once she saw the river bank of Hotland coming up. Papyrus had called her, weirdly enough and he sounded... really weird. Not Papyrus kind of weird, which was usually good, but... a strange kind weird. He had advised her to seek Dr. Alphys who had finished her running laps early.

After everything that happened today, maybe Dr. Alphys needed someone to listen to her? It was a bit too much to take in, after all. Frisk was more than welcomed to helping her, she seemed so... scared and nervous, weak even. Frisk wanted to help her become stronger by loving herself.

The first floor of the lab seemed silent and eerie. Something was wrong. "Dr. Alphys?" Frisk asked aloud, but no one answered her. She walked all around, stopping when her foot stepped on a note left in front of the elevator. It seemed so messy, it was really hard to read, but Frisk seemed to understand the gist of it. Thank goodness her goat momma taught her to read!

"The truth...?" whispered Frisk, looking up and noticing that the elevator door opened for her, almost as if it were inviting her inside. "...Sans said the same thing, about 'the truth'. Why does the truth always seem to be inside a lab...?" she asked herself, walking side. Hmm... perhaps she should check out every floor? There was so many floors... where was Dr. Alphys?

Pushing the second floor button, Frisk waited patiently as the elevator descended and stopped. She took a step forward but just as she had done so, instead of opening the door the elevator shook violently. "EH!?" Frisk whined, backing away and crouching down in fear. She could hear sirens going off, and an electronic voice spoke. "WARNING! WARNING! ELEVATOR LOSING POWER! EM TETHER STABILITY LOST! ALTITUDE DROPPING!"

"...S-SANS!" screamed Frisk as the elevator suddenly plunged down. Her heart felt as though it had left her chest and she was forced down unto the floor by the sheer speed and force of it all.

When she opened her eyes, she could feel her cheek throbbing with pain along with the right side of her temple where her head had hit. There was a small pool of blood that seemed to be coming from her head, and her body pained and ached. What happened?

She looked up and noticed the elevator doors were opened, although she also noticed green vines on the top part, almost as if it was what held it together for her. "...I... I was... Dr. Alphys! Don't forget, Flor. Don't forget... I... she can help me. Come on... it's just a big ol' bump and a little blood. I can do this..."

From the darkness, Flowey watched as the girl forced her body to walk on through. How unsightly! How vulnerable was she, in her pink flesh bleeding after such a fall. It almost reminded him of Chara...

 _"Asriel, you silly, silly goat. It's just a cut! Don't start crying over it! Hehehe~"_

Shaking its golden petals, Flowey forced the thoughts back. These stupid thoughts! They were progressively annoying him to death! But soon enough, he was going to get his hands on that delicious red SOUL, along with all the other SOULs! Yes! This plan would guarantee it! It had to! Everyone was getting worried about her, and Dr. Alphys' would certainly have the courage to call Undyne and Papyrus and beg them to interfere with Frisk's battle! Then, and only then...

Frisk stopped, her body shivering as she heard a distant laughter. What was that!? This was creepy enough! Oh man... Oh man! Taking another step, she was startled when a green light flashed to her left. A monitor. Huh? Words...

" **ENTRY NUMBER 1** : This is it... Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the SOUL."

"...the power of the SOUL?" Frisk asked herself, noticing another monitor up ahead. This had to be Dr. Alphys' diaries... She was the royal scientist after all. But how does one unleash the power of the SOUL? Didn't Sans say she had determination? How do you unleash a feeling?

" **ENTRY NUMBER 2** : The barrier is locked by SOUL power... Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. SOUL power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now... The SOULs of monsters."

Frisk gulped. "...what was once living...? Monsters? W-wait! Dr. Alphys didn't...? Sans didn't...? He wouldn't... would he?"

 _"... Y..o..u..'d b..e d..e..a..d w..h..e..r..e y..o..u s..t..a..n..d."_

Shaking her head, Frisk pushed on. She had to trust Sans. He gave her the key to his personal lab...? or whatever it was, but it was personal. And sure, it had photographs of him with monsters in lab coats and in a lab setting, but in all of the photographs, they seemed happy. The stuff that she just read seemed so... gloomy and scary, there was no way...

" **ENTRY NUMBER 3** : But extracting a SOUL from a living monster would require incredible power...Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the SOUL's host. And, unlike the persistent SOULs of humans... The SOULs of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's SOUL last..."

" **ENTRY NUMBER 5** : I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the human SOULs. I believe this is what gives their SOULs the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living... The resolve to change fate. Let's call this power... "Determination."

Frisk stopped for a moment. That's what Sans had told her... but it wasn't referring to the feeling of determination. He was talking about the power called DETERMINATION, the resolve to change fate... is that now what she's done the entire time? SAVING and LOADING, coming back from death just to carry on and reach the surface. Chara said it herself. Chara... Chara said she was meant to die on the surface, meant to kill Asgore, her father...

"But I refuse..." Frisk stated with a stronger tone, wiping away the thick mass of blood that had stopped the bleeding on her temple, her hands rubbing against each other hoping that the friction would make the sticky blood fall off but instead it only smeared red on her hands and eventually her cheeks—but at least her hands weren't sticky. She had made her way around the corner into a long hall.

With this new information, Frisk felt herself becoming stronger mentally, not physically, but her mind felt as though her body had also gotten stronger. With this new piece of information, Frisk's resolve to face Asgore and live to tell had gotten stronger. The desire to see Asgore and herself sharing a cup of tea...

It filled her with DETERMINATION. She SAVED instantly as her hand reached for the star that was lying on the floor of a room that seemed to look like a lobby. What a creepy place... even the music in this area was creepy. At least it wasn't absolute darkness. Thankfully, little energy lights seemed to still be powered on, but they were dim. She turned and walked to a vending machine. Ooo. Potato Chisps.

...wait.

Potato Chisps? That was... Sans' favorite. She looked closely and realized that it was the only thing available on the vending machine. Well.. she did have just enough gold.

Taking one bag of potato chisps, Frisk turned and saw a note on the floor, along with a little leaf. "Oh... to turn on the elevator, I have to turn on the power, and it's through this door..." The very guarded door stared back at her, and Frisk knew that this might take a while. Time for adventure!

Without thinking much on it, she headed to the left hallway. There, another entry awaited.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 6** : ASGORE asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had "fallen down." Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose... And soon, they'll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject "determination" into them? If their SOULS persist after they perish, then... Freedom might be closer than we all thought."

Frisk shuddered. Fallen down...? What did that mean? Why did they fall down? Continuing onward, Frisk came into another room and immediately went to the next entry in hopes it would shed some light to her questions.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 9** : things aren't going well. none of the bodies have turned into dust, so i can't get the SOULs. i told the families that i would give them the dust back for the funerals. people are starting to ask me what's happening. what do i do?"

"Dust... funerals...? What did you do, Dr. Alphys...?" Frisk whispered, realizing that this is perhaps what Dr. Alphys referred to as 'the truth'. It was... something hard to swallow, yes. She could forgive the poor Dr. Alphys, but Sans... Sans couldn't have... right?

She looked around the room and realized there was three beds with restrainers on them. Oh boy... was this where...? Oh man. Well, at least it wasn't like Dr. Alphys did it on anyone who didn't _want to_ go through with it. It all monsters who were... kinda dead? Still alive but deep asleep... sorta like what her brother was after the incident with the bad men. Alive, but dead.

She went into a small room, where a note and a red slot were. The note said something about draining the sinks and dropping something... SO! The sinks!

Much like before, the Flower watched from the darkness as the little girl obeyed his leaf-written notes. Manipulating her was just too easy... nothing like Chara.

 _"Huh? 'Chara sucks!'? Haha, Asriel do you really think I believe the other monsters wrote this about me? ...Nooooope! Sorry kid, I'm not about to fight all the bullying monsters. Buuuut, they do annoy me, so take it as a favor. You owe me next weeks' worth of chocolate AND you have to do my chores, hehehe~"_

Flowey growled, head shaking as he felt uncomfortable. What was this? _He didn't understand_. Asriel? Who was Asriel? Why did he get these stupid memories? Why did he sometimes feel a soft spot for that she-demon? HA! All that she was good for, was a challenge.

Another wave of uncertainly covered the flower. He didn't understand. The attachment he'd all of a sudden feel, the need for attention, the _WANTING_ of it. _He didn't understand_.

"Ahhh!" cried out Frisk, falling back and snapping Flowey out of his spiraling thoughts and back into his old self. He let out a laugh as he watched the human tremble under the growing Memoryheads. Ahh... the Memoryheads. Those nasty things. The leftover waste from the DT extractor from when the last royal scientist used it. Man, those things were MESSED UP. Bunched up pieces of patients, all melded together with remnants of its last royal scientist. Dr. W. D. Gaster, was it? Some guy. So creepy, so... not normal. What was that language he spoke? It sounded like ungodly screeching, sheesh.

Flowey made a face, looking the other way as he watched the human struggle with her fight. She seemed to be trying her best to give the Memoryheads mercy. What a joke. Eh, the human SAVED, right? There was no way she could mess up the rest of the journey. He should go get the rest of his plan underway, after all. What could that she-demon do now anyways, right? The kid had completely blown her aside, her play at gaining control over the kid was over, until he enacted his plan, of course, so... nothing to worry about. Pfft, what a stupid power though. Being able to possess a body only when they're at their lowest points and vulnerable to empty promises... what a joke. Still, quite entertaining.

Frisk gulped, pressing the MERCY button when it lit up. The Memoryheads didn't care anymore. Just like that... they disappeared. It was so weird for Frisk to meet a monster so... odd. She could only communicate through her cell phone, and it sounded like static and... well phone lines. It was hard to put into words, but somehow, Frisk felt that this was something important.

Click-clank!

Frisk turned to the sink, noticing a red key. OH! Right! The key! The door had four colors, right...? That means she needs three more keys. Hm... perhaps this key went into the red slot? Putting aside what just happened, Frisk went back into the small room and put the perfectly sized red key into the red slot. It was a perfect match! She could do this!

With a smile back unto her face, she skipped back to the lobby and went into the right hallway. There, she found more entries.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 12** : nothing is happening. i don't know what to do. i'll just keep injecting everything with "determination." i want this to work."

" **ENTRY NUMBER 13** : one of the bodies opened its eyes."

Frisk grinned. "Yes! That's good, right?" she gasped, running to the next room. Was there going to be monster there, ready to explain the rest? Perhaps Dr. Alphys?

No.

Instead, she found a whole lot of beds that were neatly tucked in—all but one. Her head continued to throb from the fall, and sure, her body was also hurting, not to mention, her HP was 2 after that fight with the Memoryheads. A nap would be nice. Her feet moved towards the bed although she hadn't thought of it, and her head looked at an empty dog bowl in the corner. How odd. Was there a dog around? She hadn't heard one, or seen one for that matter.

Her body crashed down on the bed, her eyes getting quite heavy. "Just... a nap." she whispered, her eyes fluttering to a close as light snoring soon began to echo in the empty room.

A light orb flew by and soon manifested into a white shape due to the brightness of its shine. "Frisk..." it whispered with a motherly voice, an arm stretched out towards the child who twitched in her sleep. It was hard to watch her child be harmed countless times, over and over again, but now that her child slept so soundly, close to fulfilling her destiny and vehemently telling Chara no... it made her proud. It was so hard to believe that she had died in the woods, hard to believe that she had been offered the option to give her daughter a fighting chance... hard to believe that she would be dragged into this... this world of magic. But here she was, a spirit overlooking her daughter and her choices, taking form in the real world as a fantasma (ghost) and tucking her daughter in as she slept soundly in the True Lab. If it hadn't been for her red SOUL being transferred into her daughter in the first place, then... then Frisk wouldn't have survived her fall, huh? A red SOUL's power was amplified DETERMINATION.

As her white ghostly form turned to mist and disappeared, Florencia couldn't help but to wonder HOW it was possible in the first place. From what she gathered, humans weren't able to absorb human SOULs. So... how did she transfer her red SOUL to Frisk? It didn't seem like the girl changed at all, just the color of her SOUL... it simply turned red like hers. Was it a miracle? Was it scientifically possible? Gaster himself seemed at a loss of words, after all, and he was the most knowledgeable person in the field, correct?

Frisk opened her eyes and jumped out of the bed, staring at covers which were DEFINITELY not covering her body and face when she fell asleep. WHAT THE HECK!? Papyrus wasn't around, and neither was Sans. They'd usually tuck her in. Her hands quickly grabbed the top of her head, feeling as though someone had patted it... someone familiar. It was all just too weird. It felt like someone was watching over her, someone... who cared. Oh man, this place was getting to her, wasn't it?

She shook her head and looked around the vast room, noticing another Entry Monitor.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 14** : Everyone that had fallen down... ... has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners...?"

Frisk perked up, looking around and realizing that perhaps this was their beds...? But then... why hadn't she seen anyone? Letting out a long sigh, she headed up the north door where another entry awaited.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 15** : Seems like this research was a dead end... But at least we got a happy ending out of it...? I sent the SOULS and the vessel back to ASGORE. And I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow. : )"

Oh! Then everyone was back home? Okay... that might explain why this place was deserted. Still... something felt off about this place. Perhaps more adventuring might reveal the mysteries. Taking a few steps, Frisk read the next entry, which made her panic.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 16** : no No NO NO NO NO"

Okay... something bad happened then...? Unable to resist her curiosity, Frisk hurried and went north. Instead of finding another monitor, she found a shower along with shadows that seemed to be taking a bath.

Oh boy. This was awkward...

...except...

...it didn't feel real.

Ghosts!? Fantasmas!?

Frisk took a deep breath and slowly approached. "...hello? A-are you taking a bath? I-I'm so sorry if you are... hello?"

Silence.

She was next to the bath tub, and her heart was racing. Should she do it? What if it's another Memoryhead? Oh man...

Closing her eyes, her hands reached out for the curtains and she pulled them back, her heart bracing itself just in case her SOUL was pulled out, but after several moments of silence... she realized it was empty. Her buckling knees gave out and she fell down beside the bath tub as she laughed. Oh man. It was just her mind, surely! Or perhaps her nerves just playing tricks on her. Alrighty! A green key! Two more!

Turning back, Frisk continued to go down the right side where she had left off. The next room that followed startled her—Was that a giant Gyftrot? No... it was all metal, and a bit rusty. Still... why did it look so much like a Gyftrot?

Deciding to SAVE first before continuing to explore, Frisk got closer to the star but realized that it wasn't SAVING. "Hm?" She hummed, getting closer, but taking a step back when the star suddenly grew a face and smiled. OH NO!

Just like that, the star began to shape shift into a tall figure. Another one! Well... at least it wasn't a Memoryhead... right? As her SOUL popped out, Frisk couldn't help but to notice that this figure looked like Shyren, along with other monsters.

...

"Lemon Bread...?" Frisk whispered, noticing the yellow words appear once she was able to spare. This was new. Was that their name? Did they forget who they were too? WAIT! Shyren! Shyren's sister fell down, didn't she? Was this...?

But just like it appeared, it disappeared once Frisk spared the monster. Once more, Frisk was left alone in this facility that only made more questions than answers. She noticed another monitor beside the Gyftrot looking machine, and running to it, she noticed that it only said 'DT EXTRACTION MACHINE. STATUS: INACTIVE'

"DT... extraction? Determination? So this is the thing that..." Frisk whispered, looking at the machine which towered over her. So scary... how did it work? How did Dr. Alphys...?

...Nah. Maybe some things were best left unsaid.

She noticed a corridor but upon inspecting the next room, Frisk decided to stay away from it. It was too foggy! Instead, she headed into the other room beside the DT Extraction Machine. There, she noticed a TV and two bookcases along with a monitor and key slot. Hm! And another note! Under the bed sheets...? Man, this scavenger hunt was really gonna have her look everywhere in this floor, huh?

She walked up to the monitor and read another entry.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 4** : I've been researching humans to see if I can find any info about their SOULS. I ended up snooping around the castle... And found these weird tapes. I don't feel like ASGORE's watched them... I don't think he should."

Frisk turned to the TV. Tapes? Should she...? What if it has answers? She noticed that the tapes seemed to be alphabetized, and a few were... sticky. Ew. Inspecting the TV, she noticed a few tapes that were labeled 1-5... almost as if she was supposed to watch them. It was pretty convinient but at the same time... who knew she was going to be here, other than Papyrus? Did Papyrus set this up?

...No. He couldn't have, he can't lie, and even if the way he convinced her to check up on Dr. Alphys sounded suspicious, it seemed that he didn't know what was going on either. Time to watch the tapes, it seemed.

" _Toriel: Pssst. Gorey, wake up._

 _Asgore: Mmm? What is it, dear? ... er, and why do you have that video camera?_

 _Toriel: Shush! I want to get your reaction. Gorey, dearest. What is my favorite vegetable?_

 _Asgore: Hmmm... Carrots, right?_

 _Toriel: No no no! My favorite vegetable is... Eda-MOM-e. ... get it?_

 _Asgore: ... Go back to bed, dear._

 _Toriel: No no! Not yet! Hee hee hee. Now, If I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?_

 _Asgore: Hmmm... I don't know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?_

 _Toriel: I would be... A MOMERANIAN._

 _Asgore: Hohoho! You sure are excited to have this child. You know, if you keep making jokes like this... One day, you could be... ... a famous MOMedian._

 _Toriel: ... Well, I am going to bed._

 _Asgore: Hey! Come on Tori! That one was funny!_

 _Toriel: Hahaha, I know. I am just teasing you. Goodnight, dear._

 _Asgore: Goodnight, honey._

 _Toriel: ... Oh dear, perhaps it is too dark in here for the video to come out_."

Frisk stared at the dark screen, her ears ringing as she heard that familiar voice. It was Toriel! It had to be her... and Asgore... so... Toriel was the queen of the underground? Why was she in the ruins? What happened? She was going to be a mommy which meant... the little goat kid? This wasn't making sense, it only created more questions! To the next tape!

" _Asriel: Okay, Chara, are you ready? Do your creepy face! AHHHHH! Hee hee hee! Oh! Wait! I had the lens cap on... What!? You're not gonna do it again...? Come on, quit tricking me! Haha_!"

Frisk shuddered as the tape was also black but something weird happened when he said 'Chara'. The voice seemed to... turn to static, and it sounded really weird. Not to mention she saw the wall turn to tiny blocks for a moment. _What was going on_!? She put the next tape on.

" _Asriel: Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera! Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the cap on... ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for noooo reason! Hee hee hee. What? Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for Dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter... But we accidentally put in buttercups instead. Yeah! Those flowers got him really sick. I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you did... Um, anyway, where are you going with this? Huh? Turn off the camera...? OK_."

There it was again. Another part of the room seemed to glitch and turn into tiny pixels momentarily as Chara's name was spoken, along with that weird static in the tape. Still, another thing bugged Frisk. Buttercups? Sick? Laughing...? Frisk would never be able to laugh it off if she accidently got someone sick. Perhaps the next tape shed more light as to who Chara was.

" _Asriel: I... I don't like this idea, Chara. Wh.. what? N-no, I'm not... ... big kids don't cry. Yeah, you're right. No! I'd never doubt you, Chara. Never! Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone. I'll go get the flowers_."

Frisk gulped. Free everyone...? What did they do? Flowers? ...the buttercups...? Is that... how Chara died? In Chara's memories, a goat carried her off, and perhaps that goat was the little kid, but all super powered once he absorbed Chara's SOUL? ...Next tape.

" _Toriel: C..h..a..r..a... Can you hear me? We want you to wake up..._

 _Asgore: C..h..a..r..a! You have to stay determined! You can't give up! You are the future of humans and monsters..._

 _Asriel: ... Psst... C..h..a..r..a... Please... Wake up... I don't like this plan anymore. I... I... ... no, I said... I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six... And we'll do it together, right_?"

 _Silence_.

Frisk could feel something was wrong with the four walls around her, which kept disappearing and reappearing all throughout the tapes, but it all stopped once they stopped. Chara's name sounded so distorted in the videos… In the last tape, she heard Asgore's say the exact same thing she hears when she dies and has to either LOAD or... or something. Every now and then, she'd heard his voice with the same line, but she never really thought about whose voice it was until now. It was Asgore. But... she had never met Asgore until today. How did she know the same exact line...?

And another thing... that line was for Chara. Chara was their hope, she was their child, a part of their family. Why did Chara advocate for violence and killing monsters, then? For killing Asgore? And Toriel?

What happened? Sure, in her memories she could see why Chara had a thing against _humans_ but monsters...? Was it because that monster came in and sucked her SOUL out of the goat? What was it...?

Frisk wanted to go through the other tapes, but something about this room made her feel as though she shouldn't. Instead, she decided to explore the rest of the lab and hopefully find more keys.

After going back, getting the yellow key in the bed and SAVING, Frisk decided to go back up north but take the right path. There, she found another monitor.

"ENTRY NUMBER 11: now that mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore. ... except to ask when i'm going to finish his body. but i'm afraid if i finish his body, he won't need me anymore... then we'll never be friends ever again. ... not to mention, every time i try to work on it, i just get really sweaty..."

Frisk sighed. "So it really is you, Dr. Alphys. Okay... Okay then." She looked around the room and noticed a lot of fans, along with a bit of fog. Perhaps if she turned on the fans...? Maybe that would make the really foggy room get... not foggy!

Frisk walked around the room until she got to the other side and noticed a switch. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the switch and was startled when the fans began to move. It was a creepy noise hearing the sound of metal creak, but relief washed over her as the fog began to disappear. Thank goodness!

Unfortunately, another smiling... thing formed. This one was big and... sorta... reminded her of dogs. After a long battle and eating a bit of chisps, Frisk spared it and watched as it disappeared, happy with all the petting. Perhaps a few dogs also 'fell down'. It... was sad really. These things seemed confused, just as Frisk was too. These monsters seemed to be... more than one, but just one. It was hard to describe.

Deciding to go back to the foggy room, the little girl made a sprint and reached the once foggy room in a jiffy. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she then approached another entry monitor. Hopefully it had more answers than questions.

"ENTRY NUMBER 19: the families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. what am i supposed to say? i don't even answer the phone anymore."

Ah... another sad entry. The more Frisk read, the sadder it got. Was this why Dr. Alphys was always so nervous and without confidence? Because of all this? Because if it was... Frisk couldn't blame her. All of this was really serious and dealt with things that involved life and death. It was something that Frisk herself would freak out about... just like she had done so some time before today. To know that the hopes of monsters and the lives of humans rested on her tiny shoulders... it was really overwhelming. Was this how Dr. Alphys felt too? How could she breathe and act normally? Frisk sometimes felt like she was drowning in a lake of sorrows, and carrying big boulders on her back. It was too much! Sometimes, Frisk would just look at the flowers and think to herself... how easy it could have been for her to have... well... died when she fell down. How this, all of this, could have been someone else's problem. But then... would that person be as benevolent as herself? Would they do the violence and kill everyone...?

Shaking her head, Frisk continued to explore. She checked the fridges, but no keys. Just samples. Ew. After checking two fridges, she noticed another entry monitor.

"ENTRY NUMBER 20: ASGORE left me five messages today. four about everyone being angry. one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me. thanks asgore."

Letting out a soft laugh, Frisk turned back to the rest of the fridges. King Asgore was really kind, huh? Any other king could have blamed her and scolded her for all of this... Another fridge, there was another entry.

"ENTRY NUMBER 21: i spend all my time at the garbage dump now. it's my element."

Hm. Well, at least there were more questions to be added to the endless questions she had about all of this. She checked the remaining fridges, but found nothing. Walking towards a room, she stopped when she heard a laugh. Turning around she noticed a fridge had turned white and had begun to change shape. Oh no! Another one!

Entering another battle, Frisk noticed that it looked a lot like a snow drake. "sn... o... wy..." it breathed out slowly, the music sounding a lot like the music in Snowden. What should Frisk do? Thinking fast, Frisk told her a joke about snow. The Snow Drake in Snowden was a comedian, right?

Soon enough, the melty-looking snow drake began to slowly laugh. "haha... i... remem... ber..."

There was something about this monster that made Frisk's heart sink and compel her to cheer it up. After another snow joke, this snow drake spoke once more. "haha... thank... you..."

And another later, it had calmed down and disappeared, leaving behind a blue key. Alright... another key. She went into the small room and found another note, but she had already gotten the key. Oh boy!

Frisk skipped throughout the lab, making sure she wasn't forgetting a key or a key slot, but other than putting the yellow key into the yellow slow, no, nothing to be found. Returning back to the SAVE point, she saved once more and noticed another hall way to the right of the room. Hmm... Perhaps this was the last of the keys and key slots? She could smell golden flowers up ahead too. Was there a garden to the lab? That would be nice.

Slowly making her way into the next room, she noticed several pots of golden flowers on top of counters, and all of them had little tags attached to their leaves. Oh... were they experimenting on flowers?

She turned to her left and walked over to another entry monitor.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 7** : We'll need a vessel to wield the monster SOULs when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the SOULs of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human SOUL... So then... What about something that's neither human nor monster?"

Frisk stared at the screen, wondering what it meant. Did it mean that it was going to make a flower come to life...?

She noticed another entry monitor and walked to it.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 10** : experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they're a hassle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you, and won't let go..."

A failure? That's a shame. It would've been like all the disney movies Frisk had seen when she was little, sorta like Beauty and the Beast, with the talking tea cups, but instead it'd be a talking flower—

Something within her head snapped at that moment. A talking flower... why did that sound so familiar? A talking flower... Frisk couldn't put her finger on it, but it suddenly made her feel that all of this, this entire room, was really important.

Focusing on her memories which were a bit jumbled up, Frisk slowly walked foward, her reflected image doing the same on the mirrors to her left. A talking flower, she should know this!

":)"

Frisk stopped walking, her eyes staring ahead for a moment when her peripheral vision noticed a smile to her left, on the mirror. Oh no. Slowly, very slowly, Frisk turned and noticed that white blob—another one! Bracing herself, Frisk was pulled into a battle, all while trying to focus on talking flowers.

Talking flowers, talking flowers—WHY was this bugging her? Why should she—

Frisk's left arm twitched with pain as she rolled unto it in order to avoid an attack. Did she know a talking flower?

After several turns and much ACTing, Frisk was able to spare what seemed to be a Reaper Bird. Her HP was low, but that didn't bother Frisk—the uncertainty of not knowing whether she knew a talking flower seemed to be bothering her much more.

At last, finding the last key slot, Frisk was able to finish the exploration part of her quest. As she back to the big door in the lobby, Frisk couldn't help but to glance at the golden flowers. If a smile were on those flowers, it would make her queasy. But why?

"Duh, because Flowey is scary!" She told herself, stopping when she realized the reason why this room felt important. FLOWEY! The flower she met when she fell down, and the flower who... who... the flower who turned into this big scary monster. The monster she killed in order to save other monsters from being threatened. Flowey... wasn't a monster like all the others. He was... created in a lab? Why would Dr. Alphys create such a scary flower! Although... by what the entries said, it seems that she thought the experiments didn't work.

Shivering, the little girl made her way to the lobby after saving. The door automatically opened for her, and she went inside, noticing that it was also an elevator but that it had another door which was open. She looked around and realized that this part of the lab seemed more neglected than the rest—it had a lot of spiderwebs! She noticed entry monitors, but... no power. She couldn't read them. The end of the hallway led to the power room which was all empty and metal. She looked around and noticed that it was a BIG room, but... the floor was small. She could see metal pipes and cords that seemed torn or cut, almost as if there were stuff that was supposed to be here, but it had been removed. Of course, this was as much as she could gather in such a dark room. If she got any closer to the edge of the floor, she'd fall for sure. She could feel a low purr coming from the center, deep within the room. She could see a red SOUL behind a thick glass, and immediately Frisk was drawn to this machine which housed something that looked like a red SOUL. Was it a SOUL...?

Frisk looked at the machine and immediately she was intimidated by the red ovals which looked like eyes, staring down at her, and those lines which looked like a creepy smile. Oh goodness! Was this the power machine? She looked at all the buttons and noticed a button for the elevator. Turning it on, she turned around but froze when she saw all the monsters she had fought slowly inching towards her. Oh no... she couldn't fight all of them at once!

Frisk backed into the machine, trembling as they all got closer and closer. She could feel her heart beating fast, and her SOUL was on the verge of popping out, she was sure. Oh man... what was she going to do? It was hard to fighting just ONE, how was she supposed to fight FOUR?

"Hey! Stop!" shouted a familiar voice. Immediately, Frisk smiled and threw her hands together. "Dr. Alphys!" She exclaimed with glee in her voice. Thank goodness! The monster seemed to make way for Dr. Alphys, almost as if they were obeying her.

"I got you guys some food, okay!?" She shouted once more, watching as the amalgamates seemed to hurry to their feeding spot, leaving only Frisk who seemed to look so grateful at the moment.

"Sorry about that... They get kind of sassy when they don't get fed on time. I think they smelled the potato chips you had, and... Anyway! The power went out, and I've been trying to turn it back on! But it seemed that you were one step ahead of me. This was probably just a big inconvinience for you... B-but I appreciate that you came here to back me up! As I said, I was afraid I might... Not come back... But that's not because of these guys or anything! I was just worried I would be too afraid... to tell the truth... that I might run away or do something... Cowardly."

Dr. Alphys looked down, her hands turning into balled fists as she sighed.

"Uh... I... I suppose I owe you an explanation. As you probably know, ASGORE asked me to study the nature of SOULs. During my research, I isolated a power I called 'determination'. I injected it into dying monsters so their SOULs would last after death. But the experiment failed. You see, unlike humans', monsters' bodies don't have enough... physical matter to take those concentrations of 'determination'. Their bodies started to melt, and lost what physicality they had. Pretty soon, all of the test subjects had melted together into... Those. Seeing them like this, I knew... I couldn't tell their families about it. I couldn't tell anyone about it. No matter how much everyone was asking me about it. And I was too afraid to do any more work knowing... ...everything I'd done so far had been such a horrific failure. ...but now... Now, I've changed my mind about all this. I'm going to tell everyone what I've done."

Frisk stared at Dr. Alphys, slowly getting closer and noticing how sincere and sad her eyes looked.

"It's going to be hard. Being honest... Believing in myself... I'm sure there will be times where I'll struggle. I'm sure there will be times where I screw up again. But knowing, that deep down, I have friends to fall back on... I know it'll be a lot easier to stand on my own. Thank you."

Frisk watched as Dr. Alphys turned and looked at the amalgamates who stared at her. They had been around the corner and had come inside the room once more when Dr. Alphys mentioned telling everyone the truth. "Come on, guys. It's time for everyone to go home."

After Dr. Alphys left with the amalgamates, Frisk turned around and stared at the machine that seemed to loom over her. She felt... weird being in its presence. It almost felt like it was angry!

The girl left the room and was about to leave when she noticed the monitors seemed to turn on a bright red, and they had... a smile.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 8** : I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told ASGORE yet, because I want to surprise him with it... In the center of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder... What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?"

Frisk stepped away from the monitor, noticing it had gone back to that red smiley face. Another monitor was nearby.

" **ENTRY NUMBER 18** : the flower's gone."

Frisk backed away, noticing that red smiley face had appeared once more. Why... why did she feel threatened by it? She ran out of the hallway and into the elevator. Her legs stopped for a moment when she felt the vibration of her phone. It was ringing! Was it Papyrus again?

"...Hello?" she answered.

" _C..h..a..r..a_? Are you there? It's been a long time, hasn't it...? But you've done well. Thanks you, everything has fallen into place. _C..h..a..r..a_... see you soon."

Frisk stared at her phone, wondering who it was. It sounded familiar too, but... she had never met this person, right...? Who was it? Who? …and why was Chara's name always distorted?

Before Frisk could think about it, the elevator suddenly began to shoot up and she fell down once more, but thankfully, not as hard as when she fell down with the elevator. Her hands had broken the fall, and she looked around, noticing she was going up floors. Huh? Where was she going? She never pressed a button...

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile...

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Excuse me, Mr. Gerson, have you seen Frisk?" asked Monster Kid as he waddled his way over to his shop. The young kid watched as the turtle laughed, pointing to the tall robed person who seemed to be making circles as though they were contemplating something. _**Swamp Girl**_ had returned, perhaps lost? "You're not the only one who wants to know, eh? She's gone to face Asgore by now I reckon." Gerson replied with strong lungs so that his voice carried over to the robed person who called themselves 'Swamp Girl'. Immediately, the figure seemed to dash away as though his words had seemed to spurred it into action.

"What? No! I... I'm going to help her! If she can cross the barrier, maybe she could take me with her... or... or maybe I can convince her to stay here. Thank you, Gerson." MK replied, beginning to walk towards the riverbank when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. "...it's dangerous to go alone, child. I might be old, but... but this ol' turtle still has a bit of fight left in him, and my SOUL might be of use. Let me walk you to them."

MK watched as Gerson walked briskly with a cane in one hand and his other hand on his head as he shook it, almost as if he was regretting something. Indeed, Gerson had been thinking about it ever since he gave Frisk a piece of his armor. Perhaps... Perhaps it was for the best to let this child go back to the surface. Even if it meant waiting, even if the annihilation of human kind and their salvation from the underground came a few more hundred years later... would Asgore truly be able to live with himself? That awkward goat living without his queen or son, and with stained hands of innocent blood? No. It was too much to ask of Asgore, and it would certainly go against King Hector's last wishes. Asgore would be too distraught to live with himself that he'd... Yeah. That silly goat would never live with himself, and he'd certainly would never have any sort of tranquility in his life.

 _"Please, Gerson, take care of Asgore. Shape him into a fine King, but above all, make sure that my family lives in an era of peace and tranquility. I shouldn't have listened to Courier or Segoe—Dr. Semi and Calibri were right. Still, I cannot think of another way to stop monster corruption without having to eradicate human kind off the face of the world. Please, Gerson... go to Asgore. He and his friends must find a new way or... or finish what I've started. Go!" Urged King Hector as he turned his head to the area where humans and monsters were battling. In front of him, several high ranking guards overlooked the battle ground. "Sire! The human forces are gaining grounds at an alarming rate!" Shouted one of the guards while Gerson shook his head. "Sir, please! Let me fight by your side!" he begged, but the tall burly goat could only shake his head. "No, Gerson. You're the best fighter I have, with the best defense. I must defend my father's legacy on my own—it was a promise. If these ol' ruins fall... then truly, the monster kingdom will be no match for the humans. It will be up to you to guide my son as I could not, and for a new generation to take over. I will leave Ulfer, yourself, and the DaFonts to Asgore. Whatever weapons the DaFont ghouls have made, it's up to Asgore to decide what to do should I fall here. There's also Roman and Horatia... those two and their child may also be a key in our future." King Hector responded, pacing as the sky darkened with smoke and ash. "Sir! They have broken the outer wall to the city!" Shouted one of the guards who had mini telescope in his hands. Gerson's hands turned to fists as he shook his head, but his king only looked at him with calm blue eyes. "Go, Gerson. Serve Bergentrückung until our society is free to roam their native lands; that's my_ _ **final**_ _order."_

Gerson looked back, watching as MK ran to his side with a big grin on his face. "I really like Frisk, she's super cool and is friends with Undyne! Do you think other humans are like her?" asked MK, noticing that Gerson had looked the other way as he answered. "Ah, humans... they're complicated things. The rest of humanity might not be like Frisk, no... but that's what makes Frisk special. She reminds me of this kindhearted human I once knew—he was really something. One of a kind, no human could compare to him, of course, there was also Arial. Alisdair and Arial... hmm! Perhaps little Frisk can help us reclaim Bergentrückung, perhaps not the big country we used to be, but at least reclaim our native land that the royal family has owned and called its own since the dawn of time."

MK came to a stop along the river bank, his eyes shining as he looked at the water. "Wow, do you really think the human can get us to the surface!? I want to explore the surface with Frisk and spend all my time with her once we're on the surface! M-maybe I'll even get the courage to ask her on a date!" beamed MK as his cheeks blushed. Beside him, the old turtle chuckled to himself as he looked at the river. "What will you do, Mr. Gerson?" asked MK, noticing that Gerson's smile had slightly disappeared.

Ah.

"Who knows, little one. If the rumors of SOUL fusion are correct, I might finally be able to see what became of the old Delta Palace, which should be nothing but crumbling ruins by now. If our fusion fails like the royal prince's... well... I might finally rest peacefully." Gerson answered, his eyes lifting up as he watched River Person's boat float on down towards them.

It had been bothering the old turtle for some time now—the idea of fusion. True, he had been pressuring Asgore into killing the little human, but ever since he saw the little girl struggle with the armor she bought from the temmies, he felt himself vulnerable. How many children had he sired and watched them die meaningless deaths, all because they thought themselves invincible? All because they relied on their signature power shells?

That trigger fingered human with a yellow SOUL had killed three of his children alone, all because they thought they could best a human child. His children had been thirsty for battle and glory, much like their father—it was indeed all his fault. Their family name, their family prestige and signature defense and offense—Why didn't he teach them to be humble and kind? To spare, to settle things without violence... much like this little human child who was being forced to do battle to the death.

"Mr. Gerson, what's a fusion?" asked MK with large curious eyes as the turtle returned to his senses. "That, young lad, is a bit o' a mystery. You might see it in action if we hurry, come. Aye, River Person, eh? Take these ol' bones and young blood to Hotland! Ol' Gerson 'Hammerfell' Vajra' is makin' a comeback, lassy!"

MK jumped inside the boat, watching as Gerson's cane turned into a huge hammer. WOAH! It caused the boat to tremble, but thankfully, it steadied itself and had begun to sail.

"Tra la la. The Angel is coming~" River Person gleefully chanted over and over again.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"Guard a weird, out of place door, MY SNAIL PIE! Don't worry my child, momma Toriel is coming!" Toriel gasped in between breaths as she ran past a small peach colored reptile with glasses who seemed to be accompanied by several weird, white colored monsters—But there was no time to investigate! Her baby was in dire need of assistance! She could be in severe trouble! She couldn't bear to lose another child...

"H-hey! Watch where you're running!" shouted the nervous lab coated reptile behind her as she fell back. In the distance, Torial shouted an 'I'm sorry', but kept running nonetheless.

"HEY! WHAT the HECK! COME BACK HERE—oh, Alphys, you okay?"

Dr. Alphys blushed, watching as Undyne jogged over to her and held out her hand for her. Behind her was Papyrus, Sans, and Grillby. "...the shortcut made me dizzy, is that normal, Sans?" asked Grillby as coolly as ever, although his shoulders seemed to be swaying very, very slowly. Papyrus grinned. "INDEED! WE DID TE—EEEEAR THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND REALLY QUICKLY, AFTER ALL! MOVING SO QUICKLY TENDS TO MESS WITH THE MIND, YOU SEE. YOU SHOULD WORK OUT MORE OFTEN, NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus answered, laughing a bit nervously but neither Grillby nor Sans seemed to have picked up on it, and Undyne and Dr. Alphys were too focused on each other to care about his slight mishap. Good. Sans couldn't know. He'd be too distraught and heartbroken to ever forgive their father, but their father wasn't at all as bad as Sans thought him to be.

"Th-th-thank you, U-Undyne! Frisk helped me realize a lot, and... and I'm going to tell everyone the truth! Undyne! These are the amalgamates! I-I-I created them, or well... it's a bit of a story. D-Don't freak out! They're nice! I just fed them... I... I messed up. I injected them with too much DETERMINATION, which is what helps a SOUL persist, even after death. They're the fallen monsters, but, you see, they woke up and then they sort of eventually started melting down, and... and this happened. I was so scared, but Frisk made me realize I shouldn't be afraid. I-I understand it if you... if you..."

The short peach colored monster trembled in place as her head hung low and tears began to stream down the curves of her face. It was so scary... what if Undyne rejected her? What if—

"Stop it. Stop crying, you crybaby. Suck it up, Alphys, it's your first day of training."

Grillby smiled as he watched Undyne kneel to Dr. Alphys' eye level and embrace her in a comforting hug while these strange monsters watched silently a few feet away. He turned to Sans who looked a bit disturbed, his breath hitching as he shuddered. Ah. Gaster.

 _Strapped unto the metal slab, Sans watched Gaster screamed in agony as the thin cut away scars on his face began to crack. "this is madness, pops! just stop it! just go back to the old dad i knew!" shouted Sans as loud as he could, trying to keep himself calm at the same time but just watching his old man fall down and curl up in pain as DT flowed through his veins was just too much. Even after experimenting on him... Sans still had a bit of sympathy. It was still his father, whether he liked it or not._

 _"CURSED SIDE EFFECTS! DT LEVELS STABILIZING! VINNIE! PREPARE AUTO-SURGEON FOR IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF MELTED INJURIES BELOW MY EYE AND ON MY SKULL! I WILL NOT LET MY RESEARCH SCAR ME! I JUST HAVE TO... HAVE TO REMOVE MELTED EDGES WITH CLEAN CUTS..."_

 _Sans struggled, but once more, it was to no avail. He looked at the big monitor where the beeping was slowing down, and where the DT graph seemed to very slowly begin to turn into a line. Gaster was playing with severe fires at this rate... Had his madness truly driven him into such extremities? Sans knew his threats to use Papyrus weren't empty anymore._

 _Silently, the small skelly watched as his father sat down unto a tall throne-like metal chair as composed as a ghoul who had just had two parts of his skull melt a bit could be. "_ _ **INITIATING AUTO-SURGEON VERSION 4X-9ASTER. ANESTHESIA SEQUENCE IN 3... 2... 1...**_ _"_

 _Sans gulped, watching metal handcuffs wrapped around his wrists and neck. On his neck, a green light lit up and soon afterward, Gaster's head tilted back. He was out of it. Before Sans could even think about how surgery could be practiced on a sitting monster, the chair began to move. "...what the..." gasped Sans, watching as chair turned into a metal table that firmly grasped Gaster. That kind of technology was NO WHERE in their capacity! Where did Gaster get his hands on this? HOW did he come up with it? SINCE WHEN has he had this technology!? WHY hasn't he shared it with the rest of the underground...? Sans stopped his train of thought when he noticed a ghostly figure standing next to Gaster dressed in surgeon clothes. He noticed that this 'ghostly' figure seemed to glitch out every now and then._

 _"_ _ **INITIATING BINARY SEQUENCE: AUTO SURGEON**_ _._ _ **SUBJECT:**_ _WING DING ASTER._ _ **ILLNESS:**_ _DT OVERDOSE._ _ **OBSERVATIONS:**_ _SUBJECT STRESS LEVELS ARE RIDICULOUSLY HIGH. HE WON'T LISTEN TO MY ADVICE. HE'S A HORRIBLE BROTHER, NOWHERE AS INTELLIGENT. RECKLESSNESS YIELDS STUPIDITY. HE IS LUCKY TO BE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO GUESS THE DT DOSES NEEDED TO AUGMENT HIMSELF. UNLUCKY FOR HIM, HE MISCALCULATED THIS TIME BY THREE MILLIGRAMS._ _ **PLAN OF ACTION:**_ _REMOVAL OF MELTED SCARS LEFT BEHIND BY PREVIOUS SURGERY. WIDENING OF THE SCARS WILL OCCUR._ _ **COMMENTS:**_ _PFFT. THIS GASTER IS A TRAIN WRECK UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER GASTERS IN THE OTHER UNIVERSES. I SHOULD THINK MYSELF LUCKY."_

"Sans? We're going inside the lab, do you wish to follow us?" asked Grillby as the rest of the group made their way towards the labs. The short skeleton slowly looked at Grillby, his breath finally returning to normal. "crap. i just remembered something i didn't want to remember." Sans shook his head, his weary eye sockets closing as his left hand massaged his forehead. "Vinnie knows. Vinnie knows about something that we don't know. We need to go back to my lab and interrogate her, Grillby." Sans spoke with that serious voice of his as his back straightened out and made him about an inch taller. Before Grillby could reply, Undyne's shout caught their attention.

"WHAT! FRISK!"

Without even thinking about it, Sans' hand grabbed Grillby's and the two teleported to the inside of the Lab, thankfully, somewhere where they could easily hide and simply come out as though they had been around.

"I-I don't know! These vines were never here, I mean, why would plants be wrapped around my elevator? W-wait, I don't think Frisk is in the labs anymore. She's not showing up on my cameras." Dr. Alphys replied as her nose twitched and she sniffled every now and then.

Papyrus looked down at his cell phone before looking up. "DR. ALPHYS, WHY DID YOU ASK US TO COME OVER?" He asked with curiosity seeping in his words. Flowey the Flower had told him to gather everyone and to bring them to the castle, to HELP Frisk. Just as they had been doing that, Dr. Alphys called, regarding Frisk and something she needed to tell them.

Sans came to the realization just before Dr. Alphys validated his hunch. There was only one way Frisk could have escaped the lab, and that elevator led to...

"I-I needed you help! King Asgore is set on facing Frisk, but we can't let him! Frisk will die, or King Asgore will die! I-If Frisk stays a bit longer, m-maybe we could figure out another way! We've never analyzed a human, maybe there could be a break through!" Dr. Alphys explained, and immediately Undyne agreed. "ALRIGHT! So we just keep her in the labs, that'll stop her from facing Asgore."

"...she's not in the labs anymore." Sans breathed out, looking at the big monitor which showed the empty L9 floor and opened elevator which lead to the castle.

*********°*********•*********°*********

 **The Mountain Boss Arc** : We interrupt this BOSS Fight to bring you... *********°*********•*********°*********

"This is the barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground."

Frisk gulped, looking around the white vacuum that seemed so vast and... empty. It looked like a white rectangular tunnel but she could feel the strong magic weaved into what looked like white blocks all knitted together like chains. She could see the brightness at the end of the tunnel—A brightness that seemed a bit familiar. A golden light, a warmth that could only be the sun! The surface was so close! But the barrier... such strong magic made the air around the barrier so heavy! It was almost as if gravity was stronger here, as if she added on another twenty pounds, it just... so surreal! She was going to be slowed down, no doubt about it.

"If... If by chance you have unfinished business... Please do what you must."

Silence. Letting out a shaky breath, Frisk looked back, her hand clenching her chest as she shook her head. There was no turning back anymore. Even if she wanted to see dunkle Sans or MK... the elevator doors were closed shut by green vines that had appeared out of nowhere. But it was fine... Frisk was at peace now. Alphys looked much happier... Undyne was happier... dunkle Sans wasn't as mysterious and gloomy anymore, and Blooky was being more sociable. She had said her goodbyes; she had seen those she couldn't live without one last time... this was fine.

She knew who she was now, too.

"I'm ready, King Asgore." Frisk spoke, steeling her nerves as she knew what had to happened. She was bound to die many times, perhaps hundreds, or even thousands of times, but she had to stay determined! The fate of Monsters and Humans rested on her shoulders! She had to find the softest spot in King Asgore so that they could converse! Perhaps together they can think of another way! Perhaps she could help Dr. Alphys in the labs! Maybe she could learn more about her SOUL, or something, there had to be someway! Some other way! Even if it meant dying for their sake. After all... her family resided in Snowdin now. There was nothing in surface worth more than the friends she'd made so far, not even her papa, at least, now that she knew the truth and what awaited her if she returned to him. If she was meant to die, then at least she'd rather her death have meaning and worth.

"... I see... This is it, then..." his words rolled off his tongue, his eyes staring at the end of the tunnel where he would soon be standing with all seven SOULs. If he couldn't kill one child, how could he kill the rest of humanity? He NEEDS to do this, for everyone. Even if Toriel despised him... he promised he'd get her to the surface, didn't he? Even if her love for him turned hate, he knew that deep down, knowing she could see the sun and the stars once more would fill him with even a bit of happiness. She did love the great outdoors, after all. If she, and everyone could finally be free at his expense... then by all means, he was going to do it. If only he had done this from the start, then Asriel would still be alive... even if he and Toriel hated him, they'd at least be all in the surface enjoying their lives and fulfilling their dreams.

Asgore turned around and looked down at the little girl who stared back at him with soft eyes. She was now wearing an armor and a buckler, but he could see that she had no weapons on her hands. " **If you had killed someone... anything... this would be much easier on me; don't you know? Innocent eyes full of warmth and love—how you remind me of little Asriel when he was your size. No-NO! You're going to do this, Asgore! You've lost so much; you can't let this girl stop you!** "Asgore thought to himself as he cleared his throat. "Ready?" he asked with a smile as he clapped his hands and watched the little girl look at the SOUL jars with fear.

Looking down and trying to ready himself, Asgore began the battle field by reaching out to the child and bringing out her SOUL.

Immediately, Frisk took several steps back as her red SOUL popped out and music began to play. It was starting.

The music that played in the background felt so... regal, nothing like a battle song... it was almost like an introduction. The Great Mountain King, Asgore, now stood before her with his sad eyes looking down as he steadied his breaths. The strange light that lit the room coveted the two of them, and the twilight of the surface pierced through the barrier, as if teasing Frisk and Asgore. It was what they wanted the most... and this was the end of her journey.

Frisk took a deep breath and stared at King Asgore as her right hand turned into a small fist that hit her puffed out chest. No matter how long it takes, no matter the injuries or pain... she was going to get through to King Asgore! The idea of giving everyone a 'happily ever after'... it filled her with DETERMINATION!

"Human..." Asgore spoke softly, lifting his head as the royal Bergentrückung melody ended. "It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." He managed to smile before lowering his head. Beneath his regal attire, his right hand had slowly begun to burn and his palm could feel the fiery energy of his magic beginning to compose his trident. No Mercy.

Just before he could manifest the entire trident, Alisdair, he noticed a fireball that seemed to be hurdling towards his way. **"...Hm? W-What the—?** " he thought to himself as his right hand lost focus and he braced himself for a fiery explosion. He could feel that familiar wave of magic wash over his body as he was sent flying to the right, his eyes looking into the direction and noticing a familiar purple robe and set of motherly eyes. He was much too captivated to care about his wellbeing to care that he was about to have a very rough landing in about a second.

"...m-mom...?" Frisk whispered, her hands trembling as stood frozen into place. But... but the door to the RUINS had been locked shut! When did she... how did she...?

"What a miserable creature," Toriel spoke, her eyes glaring to where Asgore had landed before she turned to her human child with warm eyes. "Torturing such a poor, innocent, youth..."

Memories came back of that fateful day, when she had fallen down and was greeted by Flowey the Flower. She was scared, confused... betrayed and alone. Vulnerable. She had just lost her mother to real monsters, and she wanted nothing more than her mother's protection.

A mother's tender love.

A mother's fierce devotion.

Toriel smiled warmly, but braced herself as Frisk ran up to her and embraced her, whimpering in soft sobs. "Mama! Mama Goat!" she cried as she loosened her grip so that Toriel could bend down and look her in the eyes. She smiled and shook her head. "Do not be afraid, my child. It is I, TORIEL, your friend and guardian." Toriel reassured her as her hand gently wiped away the crocodile tears that flowed, the little girl looking at her as though she thought this was a dream. "Mama Toriel... what are you doing here? I thought... I thought..." Frisk whimpered, trying to compose herself.

"At first, I thought I'd let you make your journey alone... but I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous... and ultimately it would have burdened you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat ASGORE. However... I realized... I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I've been trying to prevent the whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as ASGORE is... He deserves mercy too."

The mother and daughter looked each other in the eyes as love was exchanged silently between the two. Certainly, Toriel was not her real biological mother, but even so, Frisk could feel the same motherly love seeping from this tender goat. Frisk broke eye contact when she saw a big shadow approach them, limping with a stupid grin on his face. "Tori..." he breathed out blissfully, his sparkling eyes looking over the woman he loved dearly. She said he deserved mercy too...! "...you came back!" He added with glee that was cut short by Toriel's sassy tone. "Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr! You pathetic welp. If you really wanted to free our kind... you could have gone through the barrier after you got ONE SOUL... taken six SOULS from humans, then come back and freed everyone peacefully. But instead you made everyone live in despair... Because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes."

Frisk shook her head to Toriel's amazement. "Please don't be mad at him, Mama Toriel." she begged, noticing that Asgore had been taken aback by her response. "He did what he thought was right, not for himself, but for everyone in the monster kingdom. I... I didn't want to fight, but everyone's freedom is on the line. If I were him... I'd also be in a tight spot. He's a good King because good leaders make the hard decisions for everyone, even if it's against their beliefs. I still think he's a good king and a good person. I know he was about to fight me, mama, but... but I don't want any more fights. My mama and papa would constantly fight in the last memories I have of them; I don't want that to happen again. I don't want two people who love each other to be fighting like that again."

Toriel felt her mouth dry of words. Was this the same Frisk she took under her wing? When she first arrived, the young babe couldn't read or speak so well. Her little Frisk had undoubtedly grown.

Asgore looked down with a frown as he shook his head. "...Tori... You're right... I'm a miserable creature..." he spoke, lifting his head with a smile that formed ever so slowly. "...but, do you think we can at least be friends again?"

Frisk turned to Mama Toriel who continued to have her slightly angry expression. She gave a heavy sigh as she shook her head. "NO, Asgore." Her eyes looked at Frisk who seemed to frown just a bit, but at least the child could see past the barrier she put up. Toriel still had feelings for Asgore, no doubt in her mind. She didn't hate him at all, she could see that much. Perhaps in time...

"Ngahhhhhh! ASGORE! Human! Nobody fight each other! Everyone's gonna make friends, or else I'll...! I'll..."

Frisk jumped up as Undyne came burst into the room, her face flustered as though she had been running. She glanced at her mama who seemed to be blushing and Asgore who seemed... rather sad, perhaps by Toriel's response. Ah! He still loved her deeply!

"Hello. I am TORIEL. Are you the human's friend? It is nice to meet you." Toriel introduced herself, trying to break the ice. This monster looked a lot like Ulfer...! Was this Ulfer's daughter, all grown up? An exact same grin that Ulfer would wear began to appear on her face. "Uh, yeah...? Nice to meet you!" She beamed, slowly making her way to Asgore.

Frisk looked at Toriel who seemed to be in deep thought. Now that Frisk thought about it... How did her mama and Undyne get here? All the doors and exits were barred shut by vines and plant life. It was... impossible. Hm... maybe Undyne could've made a big explosion or used her spears to make a hole or something but her mama...? Oh, her fire magic, still, would it be possible? Hm... Frisk looked at Undyne who seemed to be whispering something into King Asgore's ear. She seemed to be covered in rubble. That was odd.

"Hey Asgore, is that your ex? Jeez. That's rough, buddy." Undyne whispered, her head turning to Dr. Alphys who seemed to be breathing very hard as she ran inside as well. Her cheeks were red and swollen by the sudden exercise. She too had a bit of dust and rubble on her lab coat, but a lot less than Undyne. "H-Hey! Nobody hurt each other!"

Frisk was silent, much like everyone else in the room. It took Dr. Alphys several moments for her to process the current situation. No one was fighting and there was... a female goat.

"Oh! Are you another friend? I am TORIEL. Hello!"

... Dr. Alphys looked at Frisk who seemed so content at the moment. This was normal for her?! "Uh, h-h-hi!" she mustered up, dashing to Undyne's side as Papyrus caught up to her from behind.

"HEY, NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE! IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE...! THEN I'LL! BE FORCED! TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!"

Toriel turned to look at Frisk who seemed to beam, her legs moving to Papyrus immediately as she saw him. "Papy!" She grinned, running to him as she opened her arms wide and was welcomed into his arms. She could feel herself be lifted and twirled around, the happy skeleton setting her down and looking at Toriel with confused eyes. "OH! HELLO YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus saluted, but quickly bent down to Frisk and whispered, "PSST! HEY HUMAN... DID ASGORE SHAVE...? AND... CLONE HIMSELF?"

Sans looked back, wondering if Grillby would be okay at the entrance. He said he felt someone had followed them and stayed back, but Grillby was a strong monster. Scary even. Alright. Time to face a new timeline, and hopefully, a permanent ending with a good outcome.

Stepping inside the room, Sans noticed a tall goat lady. Huh. Okay... not sure where this random lady came from, but at least no one was fighting and Frisk was safe. Smiling even.

"hey guys... what's up?" Sans asked casually. The response he was about to receive would change his life forever.

"Hello, I think we may... know each other?" Toriel asked as she impulsively walked over to the short skeleton with a blush and sparkling eyes that Asgore immediately recognized as a sign of interest. Those were the same eyes that had fallen in love with him when they were younger... No way! Sans and Toriel...? N-no! He was Arial's son—wait, she didn't know, did she? It looked like the first time they were meeting. To Asgore's side, Undyne grasped his shoulder. "It's okay, Asgore." she reassured him, noticing how his eyes trembled with tears that brimmed his eyelids. Undyne was right. It was going to be okay. Toriel babysat Sans when he was a wee baby. Surely... wait. He was comedian. She loved puns. Oh no.

"oh hey. i recognize your voice, too." Sans replied, trying to comprehend that this was the lady behind the door. It was a goat lady! A tall goat lady... Queen Toriel the goat lady! She was Frisk's mother, the lady he made his promise to. The promise that was more trouble to him than what he originally thought.

... he had a crush on ol' lady Toriel? Now he remembers her. She was Asgore's ex... and she was the lady behind the door. The lady he had a crush on for obvious reasons, and she was Queen Toriel. How was he supposed to react to this?

"I am TORIEL. So nice to meet you." She smiled, unable to believe that she was meeting one of Arial's great grandchildren. He was so short! And the other one was so tall! The short skelly chuckled as he winked and replied, "the name's sans. and, uh, same."

Toriel blushed, turning to Papyrus. "Oh! Wait, then...! This must be your brother, Papyrus! Greetings, Papyrus! It is so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you."

Frisk smiled, feeling herself a lot more... lighter. Even with all this heavy armor, she felt at total ease, light as a feather. Everything was okay. Everything was perfect. Her mama, her dunkle, and Papy were getting to know each other... maybe she could live with them? And Asgore looked quite sad, but she was sure that mama Toriel would soften up in due time! Of course, she also noticed that certain spark between Toriel and Sans, but wondered if her dunkle Sans would be a good Papa instead of dunkle... Asgore seemed more like a Papa. But it wasn't up to her, huh? And they were just meeting. There was plenty of time to sort out all these feelings.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Meanwhile...

*********°*********•*********°*********

"What _is_ she?" MK trembled behind Gerson who stood adamantly in the way towards where Frisk and company must be at. To his side, Grillby had flared up into a confused scorching flame. "A she-demon. Chara, you're supposed ta' be dead!" Gerson shouted, looking back and signaling MK to run with all the other monsters who had shown up to support Frisk. The small monster did as he was signaled, running after all the monsters who had gone to help Frisk while Gerson and Grillby dealt with an unknown villainess.

In front of the two monsters stood a tall teenage Chara whose skin appeared to be metal and whose red SOUL appeared to be turning black with tiny veins. The red SOUL was encased in a glass chamber which had the number '9' painted, and it was situated in the abdomen.

"Annihilate... them...!" Chara seemed to utter, her head hanging low and her hand gripping her beloved dagger. "...Catch up... to Frisk!" She added, almost as if she were fighting with herself. Her head snapped up revealing those red piercing eyes, but one of them seemed very wrong. Half of her face was metal that seemed to be dissolving around her eye into black mist. Her skin seemed to be appearing very slowly, but Grillby could recognize the metal. "Gerson, Chara isn't dead per say. That's her original SOUL. Chara, what have you done?! The underground's temperature and power is going destabilize, and that computer is bad news!"

Gerson turned to looked at Grillby with confusion, wondering what in the heck he was talking about. What did he know, that he didn't?

" **Synthetic Vessel Control Complete**. Welcome, Vinnie."

Gerson looked at Chara whose body seemed to ease into a relaxed pose, her red eyes glowing a bright blue. "I don't think I'm bad news, darling. Chara knows well enough that we are working toward the same goal, and causing the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Ebbot certainly helps our goals in the long term. Chara needed a body, and I needed my vessel that you and Sans stole. Once we defeat Frisk, Chara will be able to inhabit Frisk and together we shall finally put an end to this miserable timeline. Now Chara... I leave all the fighting to you as originally promised. _Enjoy_ ~"

Gerson straightened his back and stood in a defensive position when he realized the blue glow had disappeared and the fleshy appearance of this... creature had finished. The glass SOUL chamber where Chara's SOUL rested was no longer visible, although a dark glow seemed to be given off around its abdomen. It looked like a living, breathing, Chara. A metal that grows skin... what kind of witchcraft was this? Certainly, it must be a creation of the DaFonts. Even after death, their creations continue to bring chaos his life.

"...Chara?" asked Grillby with a gulp, watching as a grin began to spread across her face. "...yes, Grillby dear? Hehehe~"

A shudder rolled down Grillby's spine and his shaky breath hitched. To his side, Gerson had leaped forward with his hammer and missed his powerful attack. Chara had jumped to the right just in time to avoid Gerson's hammer, and where he stood was a small crater. The old man was still strong, huh?

Grillby shook his head. "Chara, stop this! I don't want to hurt you." He spoke as he avoided the sudden thrust of a dagger to his face. She was quick on her feet. Too quick. Quickly, Grillby created a fire wall between himself and Chara, fear pumping through him as he realized the dagger had almost hit him on his throat and was now engulfed in flames. Her grin seemed to grow smaller and her red eyes stared at him. "...stop it." she muttered, her eyes growing frustrated as she shook her head and turned to Gerson, her grin appearing as she dodged another powerful hit. Sprinting behind the turtle, Chara twirled her dagger and impaled the old turtle behind his knee using her left hand before sprinting away to safety.

"Gah! You quick child... you always took any opportunity..." Gerson breathed out, his eyes locked unto Chara who began to laugh, her hand bringing the dagger to her cheek and spreading the blood as though it were lotion. "Your misery... your hate... it invigorates me! MORE! DIE FOR ME!" She boomed, her SOUL's black veins growing thicker and throbbing.

Standing on the sidelines, Grillby watched as Gerson demonstrated his absolute defense, blocking and countering any attacks... but with each passing minute, he realizing something was very wrong. Chara grew stronger, more insane the more she battled the tortoise and the darkness in her SOUL grew. The glowing seemed to get darker and more intense. Something that also seemed to be wrong was that she was completely neglecting Grillby.

Gerson grunted as his back ached, but finally he landed a good hit on the lass—a critical hit to be exact. Without thinking on it, he powered up his hammer with electricity, sending the girl flying into the rubble. All of this strength and power had gone into that one attack... it should have done it. Taking deep breaths, Gerson let go of his hammer and bent down, sweat suddenly appearing all over his forehead. He was too old for this.

"GERSON!" Screamed Grillby behind him, and quickly, the turtled turned around.

Two centimeters away, was the sparkling edge of Chara's dagger along with that insane smile of hers. Her eyes were wide with bloodlust, and her hand, body and neck were restrained by a red flaming rope that had shot out from Grillby.

The Angel of Death was just two centimeters away for Gerson, smiling and ready to give him the death he had always craved... but not today, thanks to Grillby. Gerson, the decorated warrior who had never let his defense down, would have been a second too late to defend himself from an attack for once. At the moment, he was frozen into place, staring at what was once one of his best pupils. Those red eyes of hers sheltered pain behind their insanity, a pain that he hadn't realized was there until now. Grillby had seen what he did not, and that was that Chara still had a bit of good in her, even if it was small.

The smell of burning flesh finally brought Gerson into movement and he jumped back with his hammer in his hand, turning to Grillby who had released Chara. Her hands seemed to tremble much like her lips which she had shut close with her teeth. "Chara, I don't want to hurt you! Please, let's talk about it! Steamy believed in you, and so will I!"

Gerson watched as the demon's shoulders began to tremble as though under a great weight. "AAAHHH! STOP IT!" She screamed, her hand letting go of her dagger as both her hands grasped her neck where the burn marks were. She seemed to be holding in the pain of the burning Grillby had caused, but more than that, she seemed to be trying to avoid talking. It was as if she wanted to be in more pain.

Suddenly, the earth shook. "...What in tarnation is that?" Gerson asked, noticing that the ground had begun to quake and several holes had appeared. Grillby could see the lava beneath them inside the holes, and he realized this was now a dangerous environment. He and Gerson could fall to their deaths if they weren't careful.

Unfortunate for them, Chara had also realized this.

"Goodbye forever, Grillby dear. Oblivion awaits."

*********°*********•*********°*********

Back with Frisk and Company...

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk trembled in place as the ground shook, her eyes falling to MK who seemed to be turning to pixels. Everyone was. "N-no! Please Flowey!" begged Frisk who had taken a step back.

Everything had been going great, and then... and then Flowey appeared with all the souls and now... everyone... NO!

Everything was turning to white now, and Frisk could only shake her head. What was going to happen now? White. White. White. White.

Black.

Everything had suddenly gone black and Frisk was in an empty room, alone... no. Not alone. The little goat. That person with their back to her, it looked like the little goat. Before Frisk could say anything, he began laugh. "Finally... I was so tired of being a flower." He turned around and Frisk stared at him. "Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend..."

Their eyes met for the first time.

Frisk didn't know what to think anymore. He was the kind and gentle goat that had taken care of Chara. Opposite of her, Asriel looked over Chara, noticing that she looked different... But it had to be Chara. Behind those worried eyes was the person who lied to him, who abandoned him and ultimately only led him to his death, all in the name of vengeance.

The pain of betrayal flowed strongly in his veins now as he powered up. She looked so confused, but she knew who he was. Who was she trying to manipulate now? "ASRIEL DREEMURR! ...REMEMBER THAT NAME, CHARA?!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk gulped. "...the absolute GOD of Hyperdeath...? That doesn't sound very good..." she whispered to herself, looking at Asriel who seemed to laugh as he threw fireballs her way, much like Toriel had done so when she fought her. Okay. Time to ACT! Her small hand hit the ACT button as quickly as she could, and noticed that two options had shown up. Dream and Hope? If she needed anything right now, it was definitely hope. She had to get through this! For everyone! She felt herself becoming tougher, and a small wind enveloped around her body. She could probably take less damage now! Opposite of Frisk, Asriel smirked as he powered himself up. He was going to beat Chara for once, and then, they were going to play forever! No longer stuck as a flower, Asriel knew that this was the only way he'd be able realize what he always wanted from Chara.

Suddenly, the music began to change, along with the darkness. Light... colors everywhere. The music, the colors, the intensity of the fight suddenly changed.

The true final battle was finally beginning.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Gerson thought looked around as they fell down, his eyes catching view of a large piece of ground that was not too far off. Using his prior experience of parachuting off of a giant duck, Gerson reached the piece of sturdy rock and held unto it, breaking his fall and slowing him down. He looked to Grillby who had just fallen faster than him, his scream causing the old turtle to laugh at old memories of when rookies were falling off of the giant ducks. Good times.

"Hey youngster! Slow down! Don't fall like that, make yourself big and slow down!" Gerson shouted, gripping the piece of earth as he began to change its angle. Time to catch up to him.

Grillby looked at the impending lava beneath him. It was gonna happen. Gerson was getting close, but would he make it in time? What if he touches the lava and DIES? HOLY BALLS OF FIRE HE WAS GOING TO DIE.

No, no! Breathe! Steamy survived worse than this… right! He was made of FIRE! What if he tried to absorb the lava? It'd shock his system, sure, but… would it kill him?

Gerson watched as Grillby angled himself so that his feet fell first, his head looking up and his arms reaching out to his hand. "Come on! Gggggotcha!" Gerson shouted, grabbing his firey hand and pulling him up as the piece of earth suddenly hit the lava with a splash. Grillby had been pulled up, the lower half of his legs had been submerged inside the lava.

Gerson let himself fall back unto his shell, breathing out hard as he shouted, small bits of lava burning into his clothes and skin. "SWEET LADY CASMORE'S MERCY! NNNGGGAAAHH! NNGGRRRR!" Gerson exploded in screams before using his right arm as a means to bite down and hold in his screams. Come on General Gerson! This was nothing!

Beside him, Grillby seemed to be laughing and weeping at the same time. "Holy burgers, I'm alive… hot damn… it's weird. It feels weird…" he breathed out, sitting up and looking at his scorched lower legs. His favorite pants were ruined. Still… he could feel a surreal amount of power in his feet. What would have happened if he let his whole body get submerged in the lava?

Grillby turned to Gerson when he felt the sizzling of his exposed legs with liquid. That's when he realized… it was blood. He gulped, looking at the old man's expression, noticing that the excitement was dying down and he was sweating like crazy. "H-hey ol' man Gerson. Hey, look at me! Keep screaming like crazy!" Grillby begged, looking down at his long button down shirt. He was about to rip it for parts when Gerson stopped him.

"H-hey fire monster… y-you need to seal the wound on my leg." Gerson spoke, breathing hard as memories came back.

" _Whoohoohoo, that's some scar, young lady. Why don't you let Toriel heal your skin?" Gerson asked, looking away as the girl changed her sweater. "No thanks. These scars are reminders of my constant battles. They make me who I am… right, Gerson? You have a few scars yourself." Chara responded, adjusting her sweater and feeling the ointment against the threads of it._

 _Gerson finally looked unto the girl once more. "I fought wars, me girl. I chose to keep these scars because monsters died, or because something important happened that I should never forget. You have scars littered across your entire body! And a huge one on your back!"_

 _Chara watched as Asriel had finally stopped crying. That idiot, crying over leaving a bruise on her. It was only a bruise. "All of these scars are from a war I could never win on my own. It was my sister, Tara and I, against the world up there. I'd get beaten down, and she'd heal me up with ointments, or by sealing the scars with threads. The needles were painful, yes, but they were nothing like setting my skin on fire so that I wouldn't die from blood loss. That giant scar on back? She sealed it up with my dagger that she had set on fire until it had turned a bright red. It was the worst, most painful scar I have, not because she set my skin on fire, but because that night she died trying to protect me, I guess. Or maybe she just got greedy and wanted to kill the man who had enslaved up as fighting puppets. Who knows… So, are you going to give me back my sewing kit?"_

Gerson sighed. "Grillby… touch me wound until it seals up, got it?" he demanded, noticing that Grillby looked quite apprehensive. "W-what? N-no! Why would I—?!" Grillby asked, but was silenced by the turtle's hand that grabbed his and forced his hot touch unto the open stab wound.

An ungodly scream erupted from Gerson as his skin seared and smoked. Grillby tried to pull his hand away but the turtle's death grip on his hand kept it still. He tried cooling down his body temperature on his hand, but the sudden lava absorption had disrupted his cooling abilities and his hand remained scorching hot.

Finally, Gerson had let go as his screamed died down. Grillby gulped, inspecting the wound and realizing that his plan had worked, somewhat. Most of the wound had been sealed, at least, where Grillby's hand had been set. "Gerson, it worked! Should I finish the job?" asked Grillby but Gerson vehemently shook his head. "That's quite enough burning, son." He sighed, holding in his pain.

So, Chara had to go through with that as a child, eh?

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk struggled against the rainbow colored ropes wrapped around her body, her heart pounding. Earlier, she had seen it. The timelines. All of them. She even remembered a few of them. The first timeline, when she had fallen down, the timeline where she had killed Undyne, the timeline where she killed the angry dummy, the timeline where… where she had killed Sans. All of those timelines had passed through her and into the white goat head that seemed to erase all of those timelines. Did he… really erase them?

No. Of course not. Even if he 'erased' them… they lived in her mind. Undoing her mistakes wasn't going to be as easy as that.

She looked at Asriel as he sent more of those beams, her mouth dry as she braced herself. Her legs ran and zig-zagged as best as she could, but in the end…

The beam hit her again.

She could feel it. Her HP dropping down to zero. Her heart had come to a halt and she stared at her red SOUL as it shattered in half, her body dropping down, dead.

She needed to do it again. Earlier, when she had died… her resolve, her DETERMINATION, it… it made a miracle. Her red SOUL reattached itself. She didn't know it was possible! And then… she was back at it, as if nothing had happened. Was this the power of DETERMINATION? The power to alter files?

Whatever it was… she needed to do it again.

She opened her eyes as she stood against Asriel again. Was this going to go on forever? Her trembling lips let out a sigh as she tried hard to struggle, but… nothing happened.

She couldn't move her body now. Nothing happened. **"N-no!"** she screamed internally.

She struggled again. Nothing happened.

Sweat poured down her forehead as she manifested the infamous golden blocks which Chara had forbidden her. Now that she remembered what they did… what they do… she had to attempt to reach her SAVE file. If she saved at the best times… she'd have a good chance of… well… surviving and getting further in the fight!

Manifesting the golden blocks, Frisk pushed herself and managed to fall down unto the golden block that would give her access to her SAVE File. She fell with a loud 'thud' and she looked up, watching as the golden blocks remained there… with visible cracks. No… No.

Frisk could hear Asriel laughing in the background, but she was not going to give up! She struggled once more, managing to move her feet and legs again, much like before, but her upper torso was still nonresponsive. She got up and hit the golden button with her head, but… nothing happened.

She couldn't save the game. Was this really it?

Frisk looked at Asriel who continued to laugh his butt off. Was this really that funny to him? Why?

Was she really that powerless to stop him? She could manifest the golden blocks, they had to do SOMETHING! She could still SAVE. Save… save…

As she thought to herself, she noticed the SAVE button light up with colors. Huh? W-why?

Silently, Frisk breathed in. Okay. She was going to find out.

Across the space that divided reality from the void, Florencia clasped her hands together as her eyes stared widely into her daughter's eyes. "Yes m'hija. You can do it. It worked, Gaster, It worked!" Florencia grinned with joyous tears in her eyes as she turned to the alarmed ghoul who gulped as she embraced him. "Erm… y-yes, of course it did! Y-you can let go now." Gaster spoke, his hand patting the back of Florencia's shoulder, but the angel would not budge. She was in full tears now. He stood tall and awkwardly holding unto the angel who cried into his bosom, his white eyes looking at the child had no idea her mother had helped from across the dimension. She had no idea her red SOUL was nothing but the work of her dear mother who continued to worry about her. The idea that this woman's red SOUL could be transferred or absorbed by Frisk was a load of ludicrous, but… it was true. Gaster wasn't the world's most renown scientist in the field of SOULs… it was his grandpa and his parents that were. But now that this woman had, in a way, managed to activate remnants of her SOUL inside of Frisk and thereby activate the SAVE file option Gaster had told her about, it was… she did not lie and had in fact entrusted her red SOUL to Frisk.

Gaster finally brought himself to hugging the woman, letting out a tired sigh as her sobs only got louder and more muffled against his clothes. He watched the little girl's eyes fire up with DETERMINATION as he continued to pat the angel's back. This woman had grown on him like Arial had done so a long time ago. And… he supposed helping the girl would indirectly help him and directly help his sons too. As long as the benefits were in his favor, right? His chest felt the strength of the angel grasp him harder, and her heat transcending and embracing him as well. Ah… darn this woman and his craving for heat!

Back with Frisk, the little girl's eyes fired up as she saw the new options from this strange new SAVE option. How in the heck did this option pop up? She didn't even know about it.

But enough wondering! It was time to SAVE her friends!

Her head hit against the colorful options, her head hitting Undyne's name first. Would it work?

She looked at Asriel who seemed a bit confused. "U-UNDYNE!" Frisk called out, jumping forward as her body continued to be restrained by the rainbow ropes. Come on… Come on… !

Suddenly! There! What she was looking for! A white SOUL popped out from Asriel who seemed so surprised. A battle arena suddenly emerged between Frisk and Undyne, although… something was weird about Undyne. Her face was pixelated. Why?

"Undyne…" Frisk spoke, but realized, that this Undyne didn't know. She didn't remember her. "U-Undyne, it's me!" Frisk called out, but she continued to be a stranger. Thinking quickly, Frisk recalled a few of the ways she had become friends with her. "U-Undyne, teach me how to cook!" Frisk called out to her, noticing a smile that spread across her face, although it was still quite pixelated. "Heh, why do I want to teach you how to cook…? FORGET IT! All humans will die!"

Frisk gasped, watching as Undyne threw her a spear so that she could defend herself with it. Frisk caught it with her legs and she did her best to use it as a means to block Undyne's attacks. Luckily for Frisk… her leg's grip on the spear was sturdy enough to hold off the attacks. Thank goodness! She sneaked up behind Undyne and used her head to tap her shoulder lightly. Undyne jumped back with confusion. "Why does it seem familiar…" She said to herself, before shaking her head. "You're our real enemy!"

Frisk huffed. Okay, one more time! Frisk took on Undyne's attacks once more, successfully blocking them all. Alright… time to show Undyne who Frisk was!

Frisk let out a scream as she charged unto Undyne with Determination, her body hitting Undyne. "It's me, Frisk! Come, on, you gotta remember!" Frisk begged, looking up as her body was against Undyne's.

Undyne looked down unto the girl, whose fighting spirit was strong… but she lacked the fighting abilities. She burst into laughter, her grin spreading across her face as she hugged Frisk. "Well, some humans are OK, I guess!"

Frisk grinned herself, watching as suddenly Undyne and the battle arena turned to pixels and disappeared, back into Asriel. She noticed the confusion in his eyes…. Did he not know what happened? Did what happen, happen without him knowing? Or outside of the current time…?

Frisk didn't know but she used his confusion in order to continue saving her friends. Her forehead was hurting, but she continued to bump it against the blocks. Time to save Dr. Alphys.

"Dr. Alphys!" Frisk called out, watching as she appeared in her polka dotted dress. The battle arena around them electrifying… wow. Alright. Hm… a good way to bring her out? Memories of them together…? OH! That's right! "Dr. Alphys, help me with a quiz!" Frisk asked, noticing that she immediately seemed interested. Just as sudden, she recoiled. "I've got to keep lying…"

Frisk gulped as mini-mettatons appeared. Oh no. Frisk's feet ran around the battle arena, dodging all of the mini-metta's attacks. Once it was over, it was time for Frisk to think of more memories. "Alright, what's your favorite cartoon?" Frisk asked, watching as Alphys seemed to nerd out and give her a long explanation before once more recoiling back. "All I do is hurt people…"

Frisk watched as incoming bombs seemed to make their way towards her. Oh boy. Her hands struggled against rainbow bonds around her, but they managed to grab her cell phone. Quickly, she used the bullet app that Dr. Alphys had installed, and used it to blow up the bombs before they could reach her. It was the only way.

Tired, Frisk gave a sigh and looked at her phone. Dr. Alphys would always call her on her cell phone… she wondered…

Dr. Alphys watched as the human struggled her hand and the phone. Suddenly, her cell phone was ringing! She looked at it and she blushed. FRISK! FRISK HAD CALLED HER! HOW!? OH MY GOD! Memories rushed back into her head. This human was Frisk. How could she forget! Everything she had just said… "No, that's not true! My friends like me! And I like you too!"

Asriel blinked. Frisk was back. She just… disappeared. How? WHY! What was she DOING? Without another noticed, she disappeared again.

And again.

Finally, it stopped. She had stopped, and she stared at him. Those brown eyes of hers… just staring at him with sad eyes.

Frisk let out a short sigh. _"nah, i'm rootin' for ya, kid."_ Sans' voice echoed in her voice. Something about his words felt… deep. Almost as if he knew what was going on. Did he know? Sans knew so many things, but he was still just a regular monster. When she had reached for him and his brother, Sans spoke about giving up like he did. Is that how Sans really felt? All of her friends, before they remembered her, spoke about their inner insecurities and desires before she had met them all. Sans… just spoke about giving up.

Was that why he was so lazy all the time? So messy? Instead of being organized and neat like in his lab underneath the house?

Still… his encourgement meant the world to her. He believed in her. She wasn't alone. Even though Chara left her… she wasn't alone.

…could the same be said about Asriel?

She looked at the options, finding a gliltched out name and file. She needed to SAVE someone else, but who? Was it…?

Frisk looked at the scary looking goat, her heart throbbing as she remembered him in Chara's memories.

"… Asriel."

She looked up and saw the mass of confusion in his eyes. "Huh? What are you doing…!?" He asked in a menacing manner, but Frisk could only respond with a gently voice. "Asriel… I'm here for you. You don't need to be alone anymore."

Asriel Dreemurr, GOD of HYPERDEATH… felt his stone cold heart throb as the memories washed over him. _"Chara… I'm here for you. You don't need to be alone anymore."_ His voice echoed as flashbacks came crashing into his mind. The human girl who had entered the underground cold, hurt, and above all, alone and weary of company… the human girl he had fallen in love with, for whom he'd do absolutely anything for… he had seen her smile when he had told her that. Her red, ruby eyes sparkling as her lips curled into a smile, her hands reaching out to him and hugging him—she hated having contact with people. The shy goat prince who had a hard time making friends and being sociable had found a friend out of the awkward and hurt human. All she needed was a friend, someone to reach out to her…

And now…

She was reaching out to him, he, who had been deeply hurt by the one he loved the most. Blinded by his rage, his sadness, and exile… he had become just like her.

"Wh… What did you do…? What's this feeling…? What's happening to me?" he asked himself, his heart pounding against his chest. "No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!" he roared, his inner rage once more fueling him against these… feelings. These stirred up, relics of when…

Frisk gasped, trying to dodge the beams he had sent her way, but she got hit. Still, her DETERMINATION seemed to be shielding her, because her HP wasn't falling as fast. "Asriel!" her gentle voice called out to him, her brown eyes sparkling with warmth as she looked over him.

"STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me!? I'll tear you apart!" He shouted, raising his hands as he sent out beams, gulping as one of them hit her. He sent out less beams this time, watching as she was finally able to dodge them all this time. "A-Asriel! I'm right here!" Frisk breathed as he caught her breath, looking over him as his eyes looked down with sad eyes and expression.

"Chara… Do you know why I'm doing this…?" Asriel asked, noticing that she seemed confused. "Why I keep fighting to keep you around…?" he added, sending weak fireballs her way, but moving them aside at the last moment so that she wouldn't get hurt.

"Asriel…" Frisk spoke, blushing when she realized it. He missed Chara, he thought she was Chara. Should she tell him? Would he believe her? Would it be better to keep him thinking she was her?

The goat god gave a sigh, continuing to look down. "I'm doing this… because you're special, Chara. You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore."

Frisk watched as he sent fireballs her way again, but at the last moment, redirected them out of her way again.

"…Asriel…" Frisk breathed out, her bright cheeks growing hotter as she looked at the sad goat god. He…

Asriel thought for a moment in silence, looking over her. "No… That's not JUST it. I… I… I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else!"

Frisk could feel the stinging of tears on her eyes, her throat hurting a little bit as she tried to piece a sentence together but she could not. She watched as he angrily made fireballs again, but just like all the other times, he moved them out of her way at the last moment.

"Oh… Asriel…" Frisk whispered, not knowing how to respond to him. She wished Chara was here to hear him out.

Opposite of her, Asriel shook his head. "I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again…" He lamented, angrily manifesting fireballs once more, trying his hardest to hit her but once they got near her, he inevitably moved them out of her way.

"A-Asriel…!" He heard her gentle voice call out to him, making him all the more frustrated. "So please… STOP doing this…" his voice trembled as he closed his eyes and raised his head, the tears he had fought back finally coming down. "AND JUST LET ME WIN!" He begged with a shout as he raised his hands, summoning his Hyperdeath beam and putting his hands together. He felt the energy blast its way towards her, his eyes still shut close as tears continued to fall. He couldn't watch.

He could hear her cries of pain, but they didn't stop. "STOP IT!" He begged, glancing down and realizing that her HP had fallen below 1, but refused to hit 0. It was at .50! WHY!?

She continued to hold on. "STOP IT NOW!" He once more begged, his heart feeling painful again, throbbing against his chest and beginning to stop.

Finally, his heart had hurt too much. He let his trembling hands fall down, looking down as tears continued to fall. He could hear her feet's 'pit pat' sound coming closer to him. "…Asriel…"

Defeated by his renewed heart, Asriel couldn't look up. "Chara…"

She came closer, her voice growing gentler. "A-Asriel…"

"I'm so alone, Chara…"

Frisk gulped, her arms free from their bonds at last. "Asriel…" she whispered once more, her voice unable to formulate a sentence. This was all she could say at the moment.

"I'm so afraid, Chara…"

Frisk closed her eyes. "A-As…"

"Chara, I…" Asriel spoke, noticing that he was within her arm's reach now. He could see her ballerina shoes on the ground where he had been staring off into.

"Asriel…" her hitched voice said once more, her trembling hand rising up.

The goat god sighed. "I…" he spoke, breaking his form and reverting back into his original form. The form he had been when he had been a kid. His true form. He cried and rubbed his tears off using his right arm. "I'm so sorry." His young voice apologized, looking at the girl who seemed just as apologetic.

"I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?" he asked, noticing the heartbreak in her brown eyes. Those… warm, brown eyes. He could see the fine lines of pain in her expression, her trembling frown trying hard to say something. It was so unlike Chara… probably because it wasn't her, huh? The SOULs inside of him, they all spoke her name. It wasn't Chara, and she… she seemed to be trying to tell him. She looked so hurt too.

Silently, Asriel looked down, feeling his heart ache. She wasn't Chara… why did he want to believe it was her? Chara didn't want this at all. All she wanted… all she wanted was to inflict pain. She was so selfish in her attempted conquest that she failed to realize all that she had. She had him. He would always be there for her. And now, after all this time… Instead of being there for him like she said she would, it was another human girl. A human girl who was kind, and gentle.

Asriel sighed. "… I know. You're not actually Chara, are you? Chara's been gone for a long time." He stated, feeling his heart ache once more at the thought of Chara being dead. The one he said was his other half… gone. The one thing he had been trying to avoid the most… happened. She died.

Asriel looked at the girl who looked at him with guilty eyes. Oh boy. He looked away, blushing as he realized the position he put her in. "Um… what…" he began to say, pursing his lips together sheepishly. He was an idiot, alright. "What IS your name?" he asked, his sheepish voice trying to sound cool, although he knew it probably didn't. Chara always said so.

The girl looked back at him with the same sheepish expression. "Eh? M-my name?" she asked, gulping. **"Should I say my name is Flor? Or Frisk?"** She asked herself internally, before finally reaching a decision. "My name is Frisk."

The goat child looked back at her with a surprised expression, his face scrunching up. "… 'Frisk'?" He asked, trying to wrap his voice around the name. He was trying to hold in his laughter. "That's…" he spoke, smiling as he held it in. "A nice name." he ended it, smiling as he notice her smile. She had caught unto his held back giggles, but she didn't seem to mind it. She seemed… happy by it.

"Frisk…" Asriel spoke again, feeling his heart beat as he said it. Another human girl was being nice to him, and her name was Frisk. "I haven't felt like this for a long time." Asriel added, with a smile, feeling his heart beat once more. "As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's SOULs inside of me… I not only have my compassion back… but I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much. And… they care about you too, Frisk."

Smiling, Asriel looked over the blushing girl who was silent. "I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus… Sans… Undyne… Alphys…" Asriel named off, watching the wrinkles in her nose as she smiled. How it reminded him of Chara…

"…Toriel." He finished off with a smile, chuckling soon afterwards. "Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you… It feels like they all really love you. Haha."

Frisk laughed with him, but soon noticed his smile turn into a frown. "Frisk… I… I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders… There's no excuse for what I've done." His voice broke as he closed his eyes.

In front of him, the girl stared at him with wide eyes. "Asriel… It's okay." She whispered, getting closer to him. "I forgive you, Asriel."

The goat child stood bewildered. "Wh… What?"

Frisk took a step closer as she looked down. "I've been through this too, and I felt the same too, but the healing begins when you learn to accept it and forgive yourself. I know you caused me a lot of hurt too, but it's okay. I'm just glad you're okay, Asriel."

Asriel closed his eyes. "… Frisk come on. You're… You're gonna make me cry again… besides even if you do forgive me… I can't keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them."

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Chara, Sans and Asriel

*********°*********•*********°*********

As the small goat and child conversed, the sound of footsteps caused the two to turn around.

From the shadows emerged Chara who clapped, shaking her head as she smiled. "Well done, Azzy. You've proved to be a bigger pushover than I thought. Well, at least you did one thing right. You got all those delicious SOULS on ya. Hand them over, Asriel."

Frisk gasped with shock as she noticed Chara in the flesh. Wasn't Chara...?

"Frisk!" Asriel gasped, his hand reaching out for the girl's shoulders and pulling her back from Chara who had suddenly dashed forward with a bloody dagger. "Azzy, give me the souls." Chara demanded with cold eyes, throwing the knife up and catching it with ease.

Frisk looked over her shoulder where Asriel's warm hand rested, his warm eyes looking quite conflicted. "...Chara... I knew my mind wasn't playing tricks. You're here too... w-why did you leave me? Why did you—" began to ask Asriel, but he quickly took Frisk into his arms and jumped back as Chara leaped towards them with the dagger in hand.

"Why did **YOU** betray me, huh?! Why did you question me?! I thought I could trust you, Azzy! Now hand over the SOULs and Frisk, or I swear upon my SOUL I will kill you myself, Asriel." Chara snapped back with anger seething through her words.

Frisk could feel Asriel's arms letting go as he backed away with confused eyes. "Chara, you wanted to KILL everyone on the surface! I would never do such a thing... I-I-I'm not helping you anymore, you hear! I don't want to fight you either, Chara. I still deeply—" Asriel began to explain but was cut off by Frisk who had jumped in front of him. Chara had slashed her bloody dagger towards his torso in a matter of seconds, and the human girl had reacted in a split moment decision.

"Asriel!" Frisk exclaim, fear throbbing throughout her entire body as the turtle shell buckler deflected the dagger and thankfully withstood Chara's powerful swipe. Had that buckler not been there, Frisk could have been seriously wounded—thank heaven for Gerson's intervention!

"Tch! That stupid tortoise gave you a piece of his shell, huh? HAHAHAHAHA! You better treasure that stupid relic while you can. It's the only thing left of that poor bastard."

Asriel embraced Frisk from behind as he walked back with the girl in his arms, his eyes watching Chara carefully now. The girl who had saved him had almost gotten hurt because of Chara... He couldn't comprehend it. He loved Chara. Chara meant the world to him. He couldn't... bring himself to harming her for real. As a game, yes, but right now... right now, something felt completely wrong. The world around them was beginning to glitch. Chara's real body had died long ago, so how is it that her body was here right now? Something was causing a stress on their world, something bigger than themselves.

 _"hey asriel screamuur, let me out. i'll deal with chara.""WE HAVE TO SAVE FRISK! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL AID AS WELL.""Let me POUND 'ER! NO ONE hurts ol' man Gerson and gets away with it!""...is that... Chara...? My child...?"_

Asriel's hand shook as a few of the SOULs began to get distressed by the events unfolding at the moment. He turned to Frisk who had taken a step back with tears rolling down as she shook her head. "N-no... Chara, please tell me you didn't hurt Mr. Gerson! He was a kind, gentle—" Frisk protested, but was silenced by Chara's shrill laugh. "Kind? Gentle? He was a murderer just like me. He was a general of a fricken' army, how do you think he got that title? By being the nicest monster? Get real, Frisk."

Asriel staggered back as a SOUL flew out of his body. "W-what? S-Sans?" Asriel asked with shock as the short skeleton stood a few feet away with worried eyes. "Where's Grillby, you monster?" he asked with that strong husky voice of his that no one recognized, except for Frisk who remembered it from Judgement Hall.

Chara tilted her head up, revealing a fading burn mark on her neck. "He tried to talk his way out of oblivion, but just like Gerson, they turned to dust. What, are you gonna cry?" Chara mocked, her eyes lighting up with energy as the skeleton's hands turned to fists. "B..U..R..N.. I..N.. H..E..L..L!" He screeched as his left eye lit up and Rex appeared, charging up his blaster as bones flew from all directions towards Chara. Standing tall, the teenage girl only laughed as her dagger pulsed red with energy. "Yesss... give me your energy..." She hissed, raising her hand and swiping her dagger which had released a powerful shock wave of dark energy, destroying many bones that would have harmed her and sending its shrapnel like bits everywhere.

Asriel felt another very strong SOUL escape him, and dash to Frisk who stood vulnerable as pieces of broken bones flew at high speeds. It occurred to Asriel that he should protect Frisk during this... heated battle, but now a tall monster stood with Frisk in his arms and a large shield that protected them both. "WORRY NOT, LITTLE HUMAN. IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HERE TO PROTECT YOU FROM ALL HARM. I WILL NOT LET THIS GIRL GET TO EVERYONE'S SOULS, INCLUDING YOURS, FRISK." Papyrus vowed with a serious tone, his right eye pulsing a bright orange as his bone shield disappeared.

"Paps, go with Frisk and search for Grillby and Gerson. I don't believe Chara one bit." Sans instructed as his left eye flickered wildly, time stopping several times as Rex appeared, circling Chara and releasing his blaster while bones continued to fly her way. Asriel could feel the distressed SOULs worry, but none of them seemed to have the willpower to escape him unlike Sans and Papyrus. It must have taken a surreal amount of willpower, love, and worry for them to do so. "WE WILL, BROTHER. WE SHALL RETURN AND AID YOU SHOULD YOU NEED THE AID." Papyrus replied, turning back and escaping the glitching room while he could.

"NO!" Screamed Chara, her eyes glowing blue as she dodged a few attacks and took a few, her skin tearing and revealing the shiny metal underneath as she escaped Sans' arena where he meant to keep her contained.

Papyrus and Frisk were so close! All she needed was one sprint and...

 **BLOCK.**

"...Azzy, get OUT OF THE WAY!" Chara shouted as she swiped her knife and sent shock waves his way, but the small goat had transformed into his teenage seeming appearance as well. His older voice shook Chara for a moment as she stepped back with amazement.

"No, Chara. No. You used to tell me what to do, but enough is enough. I'm stopping you because I care about you, Chara. I love you, and I can't stand seeing you this hurt. You're crying inside, aren't you?"

"Shut up." Chara's voice demanded as the hand that held her knife trembled. From her peripheral vision she could see Sans teleporting, and quickly she lunged to the side in anticipation for a backstab by Sans.

Asriel began to glow in various colors as he shook his head. "No Sans! Please! I don't want Chara to get hurt. She's still a good person deep inside."

The skeleton turned to Asriel with an incredulous look. "A good person? That she-demon? Asriel, I don't think you know what's going on right now. That's not her body, that's an android named Binary who has access to data and information concerning our world. I had that stupid computer locked away in my lab for safe keeping, but Chara must have found a way to access Vinnie and release her. She's using the synthetic body to house her SOUL which had been kept down in the labs as means of stabilizing the underground's temperature and power output. Without that SOUL back in the labs, the underground is going to be engulfed in lava in several hours, but before that, there's going to be seismic earthquakes that will kill us all at any time."

Sans gulped as Asriel made several stars appear that kept them safe from Chara who had just begun her assault on the two. He looked quite serious as well as disturbed. "...Chara's really trying to kill everyone, huh...?" Asriel asked with a disappointed tone, his half-lidded eyes looking over the fierce woman before him who dodged his attacks with ease and tried to reach them with her knife. Beside him, Sans jumped unto Rex who had appeared. "...Yeah."

Asriel's breath hitched as he shook his head. For the first time, he was on the top. He had the upper advantage. He could finally beat Chara with this power but...

...but it meant beating her, didn't it? Beating her and perhaps never seeing her again…

"...I can't do it." Asriel spoke with a gentle voice as he backed away from Chara who had just dodged all of the attacks he had sent her way as a diversion. "...Sans, you have to do it. You have to fight her, one last time. I-I'll make sure Frisk and anyone else stays safe. I-I'll also make sure the world around us is stable enough."

A big smirk appeared on Chara's expression, her red stained cheek shining with the blood she had smeared on herself earlier. "I thought so, Azzy. I guess it's always been just the two of us, hasn't it, Sansy~" She cooed, bringing the knife up to her lips as the tip slid across her lower lip in an almost sensual way, her tongue licking her lips in anticipation of what was to happen.

One last dance.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Saving Friends

*********°*********•*********°*********

Frisk held unto Papyrus as hard as she could as he ran so quickly, his orange eye manifesting several arrays of bones that created a small tunnel for them to get through all of the collapsed walls and cement. "...what happened here?" Frisk asked, noticing a few glitches.

"AH, WELL, WE HEARD A FEW EXPLOSIONS BEFORE WE GOT HERE. IT SEEMS MS. TORIEL WAS DETERMINED TO REACH YOU. WHEN WE GOT HERE, THE WALLS AND CEILING BEGAN TO COLLAPSE, AND I SUPPOSE IT DID. I, HOWEVER, CANNOT EXPLAIN THIS...?" Papyrus replied, coming to a stop when he came upon a dead end that lead only to lava.

"...over here!" Shouted a very faint voice.

Papyrus put Frisk down on the ground where it seemed stable enough, his eyes looking down into the lava where he thought he heard someone. "Papy, look! It's Grillby! A-And he has Gerson! We have to rescue them!"

Down below the castle, floating on a heated piece of rubble, Grillby was sweating as he tried his hardest to absorb the overflowing power so as to keep the piece cool enough for Gerson. "...I-I told you we'd be rescued, Gerson. G-Gerson...?" asked Grillby as he panted, his eyes rolling over to the old tortoise who had shallowed breaths. "A-Aye, lad. Don't worry, laddy. I ain't dead just yet, bwua ha ha ha!"

Gerson looked at his leg which had almost bled out, his muscles aching and worn out from all the power he had put into that final swing. Chara survived that swing... it was impossible. And he had let his guard down. It was a miracle he was still alive after that long fall too, of course, Grillby was lucky to have him too. Had Gerson not thought faster than him, they wouldn't have acquired this big piece of rubble during their fall. Sure, Grillby was a fire monster, but even he had a limit. The fall itself and crashing against into lava would have killed him.

Papyrus and Frisk had descended down towards them using a staircase of bones, but had stopped a few feet above the lava, where it had gotten unbearably hot. Frisk had stayed on the staircase while Papyrus had jumped down to them and had carried off Mr. Gerson who was unable to properly stand with his leg and from exhaustion. Once the monsters had ascended the stairs a few feet, Grillby had launched himself up and unto the staircase using his fire powers to propel himself.

They had been rescued by The Great Papyrus.

Once on stable grounds, everyone took a breather. "Where's Chara, Frisk?" asked Grillby with urgency in his voice, noticing that the girl looked fearful once her name was mentioned. "...she's fighting Sans. I'm scared! Chara was like a sister, a-and she wants to... b-b-but she wanted to protect me, I don't understand..." trailed off Frisk, staring off into the distance.

The limping tortoise's head snapped in their direction. "She's an abomination! That girl deserves to be resting in peace! It's been ages! She's been driven mad by the years, forgotten in who knows where!"

Papyrus walked awkwardly in silence, not understanding anything that was being said. "You're right about that, Gerson. She's been locked away in a machine, and an android named Binary has been filling her mind with genocide that fuels her anger. The two of them want to destroy all living and organic beings in the world, but you're wrong about one thing: Chara can still be redeemed. She needs someone to save her from herself." Grillby argued, turning to Frisk who looked back at him ever so fearful.

"NO! She was targeting Frisk in the first place! I will NOT allow this girl to be put in harm's way any longer!" Gerson shouted, but soon began to cough violently from exhaustion. He was in no condition to demand things.

Grillby himself felt dizzy as he walked, his magic surging with powerful magic, but his body was also weary from over usage. His lower legs had fallen into the lava and they still felt weird. "...there is... one way." Gerson added in between coughs, coming to a stop and grabbing Frisk by her shoulders so that their eyes could meet.

"...A monster and a human soul can fuse together temporarily, granting the both of them a lot of power, powerful enough to shut down Chara. I've seen it with my own eyes when I was younger, but it did not come without certain consequences if something were to go wrong. Frisk... let me lend you my BOSS SOUL. Your youth and my experience will..." began Gerson, but his coughing fit came back before he could finish.

Grillby looked down at his palms. "No, Gerson, you need rest. Sans and I read a few reports, your SOUL could shatter after it's over. Frisk, after being around the lava, my power has gotten much stronger. If you do this, I am more than happy to lend you my aid. I don't wish to harm Chara, however."

The little girl was so confused by what they were speaking of. The ground continued to quake every other minute. "DO NOT WORRY, MR. GERSON AND GRILLBY. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL TAKE CARE OF FRISK. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT MY BROTHER IS FIGHTING AND I AM VERY CONCERNED! WE SHOULD GO BACK IMMEDIATELY."

Gerson huffed a laugh, a few drips of blood in his coughs. The flame monster was right. His SOUL might shatter should he give it to Frisk, but Grillby himself was in no bargaining position either. If his powers had powered up beyond his control, the two of them could lose control of themselves while fused. It was a dangerous gamble.

"I don't want to hurt Chara." Frisk stated, noticing that Grillby appeared to be smiling. "She's been really hurt already. I think... I think she meant well at first. She wanted to protect me from my horrible reality, and keep me safe from the rest. When we first met, she was really nice and helpful. She really did treat me like a big sister. But... But then she slowly changed."

The group had been walking back carefully, trying not to trigger a collapsing of the poorly built tunnel by Papyrus. As Frisk finished explaining herself, Gerson fell down from total exhaustion, his labored breaths causing alarm. "Ayee... too ol' fer this..." Gerson laughed to himself, looking to the side where Grillby helped him up.

Up ahead, he heard loud explosions. "Sans?!" Frisk exclaimed in concern, running ahead and leaving behind the three monsters. "F-Frisk..." Gerson gasped, trying to hold in the pain he was in. Grillby looked up and saw that Papyrus had gone after the girl, leaving the two behind in the empty corridor which was safe from the quakes, for now.

"Hey, it's alright. Sans will keep Frisk safe from all harm. You fought hard today." Grillby spoke, helping the old tortoise sit up so that he could breathe easier. He looked down at his tattered bartender clothes and ripped several strips so that he could apply them unto the injury on his leg. "...King Hector and my squad would certainly laugh at the pitiful state I'm in, bwua ha ha..." chuckled Gerson, rolling his head towards where the loud battle music sounded off along with explosions.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Chara v. Sans

**Chara's Theme is Tokyo Teddy Bear (English Cover) [JubyPhonic] (it's on youtube)

***The mashup of Megalovania and Tokyo Teddy Bear I'm referring to later on is Tokyovania by SharaX on youtube.

*********°*********•*********°*********

Sans looked to where Papyrus and Frisk had just ran off, the sounds of guitar blaring as Chara straightened her back and lifted her head. The exposed metal had begun to crumble into darkness that seeped from her right eye, a black goo dripping out and corroding the synthetic head. Cracks began to appear on her skin, almost like a broken porcelain doll, and scars began to appear along her smooth skin that hadn't been corrupted by the black goop. Chara was making that synthetic body her own, and her power was something to be reckoned with, Sans figured. Her own battle music... no human could do that without surreal power—it was something his mother had told him once.

Sans stood atop Rex who growled, his blue eye staring into that red piercing eye in between the dark miasma. The two walked in opposite directions, circling each other as they sized each other, both waiting for the best time to strike.

Chara could hear the song she had come to love blare out against his Megalovania, her song powering up her hatred of both monsters and humans. **"Chara... you're destroying my synthetic body!"** Vinnie shouted within her mind, but Chara paid no mind. Vinnie was like a parasite, just leeching off of Chara right now. Without Chara, Vinnie would be powerless, right?

"Ripping at seams..." Chara whispered, bring up her knife against her cheek, feeling the cold steel caress her gently. This was all that Chara had left of herself. Everything she had lived, everything she had created, everything... everything was destroyed. No one knew who Chara Takishka was. Her adoptive parents had forgotten her, either replacing her with others or blaming her for all that had happened and pretending she had never existed. The brother she had made had betrayed her. The friends she had made moved on, forgetting her too. Not even a proper grave, or coffin was in her name. Nothing. She had been abandoned inside a machine for ages, and the only one there was Vinnie. Vinnie who sounded so much like Tara. Vinnie who told her secrets. Vinnie who helped her return to this world.

Was this real? Was she really about to win? Was she really alive?

Letting out a laugh, Chara's eyes widened as her dagger turned to its sharp edge and sliced down on her cheek, sending a pulsating sting that felt real, but numbed down. This wasn't a real body.

"Am I alive?!" She howled, her legs sprinting towards Sans who had been startled by the suddenness of it all. Chara had really hit rock bottom, hadn't she? She was insane. This was nothing like when they were children.

Jumping off of Rex, Sans' eye flickered and he managed to teleport a few feet away, his eye staring at Chara who had managed to hit Rex on the side of his jaw with her knife that glowed a bright red and hollowed black. Rex could be heard whining in pain, disappearing and reappearing behind Chara with a fully loaded blaster, blasting towards her way, but Chara was much too quick. She had jumped up and into a black flip, her right demonic eye pulsating with power as her left hand created what looked like black stars, throwing them at Rex.

Sans panicked, throwing his arm up and creating a wall of bones in Rex' defense. Those sharp edged black stars hit the wall hard, a few penetrating deep within the wall but thankfully not going through that wall of defense.

The closer Sans and Chara got, the more their music seemed to intertwine with each other, until finally it had collapsed on each other, creating what sounded like a mashup. Asriel watched on with worry in his eyes, watching as Chara only seemed to get more powerful the closer she got to Sans and he seemed to get more cautious and frustrated. It was nothing like their fights when they were children. Sans would always be one step ahead of Chara, always laughing and winking when he had gotten the best of her, but now Chara was the one laughing, accepting hits and returning them tenfold.

Sans could feel the sweat on his forehead as he dodged another black shockwave sent by her knife, his head looking back at the crumbling wall and the explosiveness it had been hit with. He turned and turned his hand into a fist, watching as Chara landed on his trap, sharp bones digging into her body as she struggled and Rex appeared several times within the same second, each one blasting her with the blaster.

"It's over, Chara. I had you right where... I..." Sans grinned, but soon it turned into a frown as he realized Chara continued to stand there, her SOUL cracking at the center but the black veins wrapping all round it and throbbing harder. There were only a few red spots Sans could see within that once red SOUL. In a flash, her HP read out to be 500/10,000. It had been 0 just a second ago!

"What the..." Sans whispered in awe, his blue eye flickering as he dodged another black wave, just barely. Her body had a few bones sticking out of her back and her left arm, but she continued to grin and laugh. "...that's impossible. I saw your HP fall to 0!" Sans shouted, bones flying towards her away but she zig-zagged throughout the battle arena, dodging a few and deflecting other bones. "I REFUSE! AHAHAHAHA! Your confusion, your despair... MORE! Give me more, Sansy~"

Asriel shuddered watching as Sans was pushed into the defensive once more. Sans was losing the fight, and all it took was one hit to land for it to be game over for Sans.

If Chara killed Sans... she'd kill him too.

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: The Angel v. The Angel of Death

***Stronger Than You instrumental piano music happens (another Steven Universe song) I sorta made the lyrics .

*********°*********•*********°*********

"STOP IT!" Screamed Frisk running to Sans who had begun breath heavy, his forehead full of sweat as he dodged yet another attack. "Kid!"

Chara stopped for a moment, watching as Frisk embraced Sans so easily, and he accepted her embrace just as easily as well. "Don't hurt dunkle Sans, Chara! Please stop hurting everyone!" She cried, letting go of Sans who trembled from exhaustion and standing in front of him with her arms out, her brown eyes staring into the scary red.

"I DO NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE, STRANGER, BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BELIEVE IN YOU MUCH LIKE LITTLE FRISK HERE. PLEASE, MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE." Papyrus added, walking until he was beside Frisk whose fingers had also begun to tremble from fear.

Asriel wasn't he end boss. The end boss had always been within her.

How could she fight someone she had become so close to?

Opposite of them, Chara stared at the talking bag of bones and the little girl who had started all this. The girl Chara had wanted to protect at all costs, and in the end...

"...we're not that different, you and I." Chara broke the silence, her eyes analyzing the fear the girl oozed. Her hands had ripped the bones embedded in her body out, fake blood splashing out. The black goo had begun to fall once more in higher quantities, soaking up the energy that Frisk was releasing. "We come from broken families, we fell down, and we had choices to make. Look at me Frisk, this is what I've become after trusting them!"

 **"Kill her. Destroy her SOUL and inhabit her body. We no longer require her SOUL once we kill the goat."**

Frisk gulped, but shook her head as she took a step forward, her shoulder feeling Sans' hand that felt concerned. "Chara, look at me. I have many friends now, a new family. I don't know what happened to you, but... you will always be my big sister. We could be a big family, everyone. Please..."

Chara gripped her knife. "A family...? After everything I've done? LOOK AT THEM, FRISK! They fear me, just like you. They could never love me like you. You're... you're what's holding me back now. Vinnie is right! I should kill you. Ha... ha... ha..Ha..HAHAHAHA!"

Sans quickly built several bone walls in hopes they'd stop or slow down Chara but it was useless. His hand clenched a hold on the girl, but she had run towards the manic instead, and he lost grip. "BROTHER!" He heard Papyrus, and Sans looked to his side, noticing a blade a few inches away, growing farther and farther now that he was in Papyrus' arms.

In the back, Asriel trembled in fear. "I can't hurt Chara... I can't... I can't..." he cried, his teenage voice gone and replaced by his childish one. Within him, he could feel the fear of all the SOULs he had, all of them asking him to kill Chara, to stop Chara. The only way to stop her now was to kill her, and Asriel would never... even if it killed him. Not now, not after finally being able to love again.

Frisk stood in the middle of the battle ground, looking around as Chara sprinted back to her and was now running circles around her. She could see Sans who looked very shaken up, and Papyrus looked over her with a lot of worry.

"C-Chara please..." Frisk whimpered, turning around and feeling a knife on her shoulder, that moved down unto her thick breastplate. Frisk fell back by the sheer amount of strength that Chara had, and she looked up, a black drop falling on her skin. "You're the me that fell down ages ago. You're too naive to understand until it happens to you. I will set us free, Frisk." Chara smiled as she raised her knife up.

Frisk quickly got on her legs, walking back as Chara lunged forward.

Sans breathed heavily, his blue eye disappearing and reappearing, his power fluctuating. _**Not NOW**_! Behind him, Asriel shook his head. "FRISK!" they shouted together, both of their brains scrambling to act.

 _Clank_.

Frisk opened her eyes, a wave of red fluttering in the sudden wind and a large bone shield standing in the way of Chara. " _ **NOT**_ ON MY WATCH!"

Chara jumped back, her arm feeling the backlash of her own strength against that sturdy shield. The useless brother of Sans'... the one she'd crush with ease was now standing in her way and holding a very formidable shield.

...this was new. That silly skull head was weak.

"Papy!" Frisk exclaimed, her hand grasping his red glove and standing beside him. Her left shoulder was bleeding, but thankfully the armor had saved her from greater harm.

"I'D BE A BAD BROTHER IF I LET MY SIBLINGS GET HURT, WOULDN'T I? WORRY NOT, FRISK. I WILL AID YOU AGAINST YOUR BATTLE WITH THIS PERSON. WE SHALL BATTLE HER YOUR WAY, FRISK." Papyrus replied with a smile, noticing that Frisk seemed to perk up with a nod.

Chara twirled her knife, sizing up Papyrus. His right eye was glowing orange. Could that ridiculous brother be as strong as Sans? She glanced towards Sans who seemed frozen into place. He seemed too out of the fight already it seems.

Looking at her, Sans returned his gaze unto Papyrus whose right eye glowed a strong orange. "...not you paps..." he whispered, his left eye unable to produce his power with his unstable mind.

Gaster.

Gaster.

GASTER!

THAT BASTARD! He touched Papyrus with his scalpel, and his dirty experimentally crazy hands.

In a different plane of existence, Gaster and Florencia watched with worry in their eyes. "Flor…" Florencia whispered, turning her gaze to Gaster who stared at the silent anger within Sans' eyes. "S-sans…" rolled a sadden electronic voice, his appearance reverting into a liquid-like form, and his hand stretching out to the image of Sans who seemed to have lost the ability to fight after such a revelation. Black goo dripped down from the black coat sleeve on his arm, his form growing more and more unstable even in the void he had tamed. "Gaster, please get a hold of yourself. Papyrus and my hija (daughter) are in trouble!" Florencia urged, watching as his form seemed to be getting less and less liquid-like. "Papyrus will be alright. I-I-If my experiments were successful, and his eye glows orange, then he is much stronger than Sans. Papyrus received only the best I could offer… w-what kind of father did I become? I became the father I hated with a passion. I became another Courier and Segoe, didn't I?" asked Gaster, taking his arm back as he watched his eldest son succumb to his emotional distress. Florencia gave a weary sigh. "Mr. Gaster, don't think about all the wrongs right now. Think about the now. Your sons have helped create this timeline—this timeline that can still be saved! Do you truly wish to continue skipping into different timelines, or perhaps, would you like to see the brighter tomorrow your sons can accomplish?" she asked, her ears picking up the soft piano keynotes that seemed to slowly be weaving themselves into the atmosphere. The phantom blob slouched down, overlooking his tall son who held the hand of the small child who seemed to lead him as they dodged Chara's careless attacks. "Even after everything, you continue to have hope… you're really something, Florencia." Gaster replied, noticing that the smile and laughter in Chara seemed a little familiar. "It won't be long, until her fake smile cracks. That demon's mind has snapped, but Frisk can still save her, I suppose." Gaster added, noticing the smile on that angel's face. What a stupid smile… sadly, he was sure it was the same type of smile Arial would always give him when she knew she was right. It brightened his mood as he watched the events unfold.

Unable to focus his anger unto his powers, Sans' legs buckled and he sat on the ground, watching as his little brother fought a maddened beast. The music had suddenly begun to warp into what sounded like a piano. What the heck was Chara going to do? What was Frisk going to do?

*********°*********•*********°*********

"I'm stronger than you. I'm stronger THAN ALL OF YOU! Ha ha ha HAHAHAHAHA!"Laughed Chara, the music flowing with her words as the beat of the music guided her words.

"One more step now, it's almost time. It's time to show you what my power has in store for all of you—You should prepare to just die! Like all my timelines, you'll have a _really_ good time~" Laughed Chara, her madness bringing her words into song. "But children like you are always just fools; Come at me with your mercy and your useless bones—Let's go, just me and you... LET'S GO, JUST ONE ON TWO!"

Frisk's hand grasped Papyrus' as her eyes widened. Chara was getting serious it seemed. She jumped back just in the nick of time to avoid her dagger. Her brown eyes tried to keep up with her hands, but she seemed so much faster. Frisk screamed, her body being twirled around as Papyrus brought the little girl into his right arm, carrying her as his orange eye pulsed and he was teleported a few feet away from where they were and from where Chara had landed with a grin and wide eyes.

"Go ahead and try to dodge me if you're able. Feed me fear and sorrow with the passing moments… I will stalk your movements and learn all those patterns—then break your bones until you're ash and bloody pieces!"

Frisk wrapped her arms around Papyrus who dodged another attack, his expression revealing absolute horror. Wowie... this girl was... something else. Nothing like little Frisk. His long legs pushed off the ground as he continued to avoid the attacks, his right eye pulsing every time he augmented his movements.

"Why not just give up? I'll be here forever! I refuse to die again, refuse to end this terror! And if you just reset to come back newer? I'll be ready to annihilate you two again 'cause I am made ooof, LOVEEEEE~ LOVEEEE~ And I'm sure I'm strong than you! AHAHAHA~"

Frisk could hear the grunts of Papyrus as he continued to dodge the attacks, summoning a big shield when he could not. "No mercy… no feelings… nothing but pain!" Chara grunted as she pushed herself, her dagger hitting the big bone shield as hard as she could with fierce eyes. In those moments, Frisk could see the same eyes she had seen in one of Chara's memories. Her red eyes that were filled with fear and dread when that big man had overpowered her.

Was that what fueled Chara's need for power? Papyrus held unto Frisk tightly as he continued to hold off Chara's attacks, his large eyes looking over the troubled teen who seemed to get more frustrated the more his shield withstood her attacks. It'd be a lie to say that he could take her on, one on one. His arm that gripped Frisk loosened up as he braced himself for one of the most powerful thrusts Chara had made. The strength, the force of it… He had no choice but to jump back so as to lessen the stress on the shield.

Frisk let go of Papyrus and jumped off while he was in the middle of a jump which caused the tall skeleton to gasp in worry, looking back and watching as the child was in front of the grinning monster with fearless eyes. She was determined to stake a stand here.

Chara scoffed, bringing her knife up as she rushed towards the girl who stayed still. The gleam on the edge of the knife sparkled as Chara narrowed her eyes with anger.

"NO!" Screamed Papyrus his left hand flying up and a large skull appearing with an enormous orange beam inside its mouth. Before anyone could process what was going on, the jaw unhinged, letting out a powerful beam twice the size of Sans' gaster blaster in the direction of Chara and Frisk.

"FRISK!" Screamed Asriel, Sans and Papyrus in unison as a powerful orange beam hurdled towards Chara and Frisk. Chara had sprinted towards the girl, her knife held up as her red eyes twinkled for a moment. Frisk could see the hesitation in her eyes.

Chara was hesitating. Frisk smiled but her attention turned to the giant beam heading their way. "N-NO!" Shouted Frisk, moving in front of Chara as the blunt force of the beam hit her first, and then Chara as it phased through Frisk.

Asriel dashed to the two while the two skele-brothers stood in their place in utter shock. "...I DID THAT...?" Papyrus asked himself while Sans tried to comprehend what had just occurred.

Chara cried out in pain, her red and black SOUL throbbing in pain as she held the child who had fallen into her arms. She had barely lived the attack, thanks to Frisk. 1HP/10,000. Frisk on the other hand... Her red SOUL was broken in half and her HP was 0. Frisk was dead. This was what Chara wanted.

" **Finally**!" Vinnie sighed inside her mind. " **Now absorb the SOULs while he is busy mourning the child**."

"Frisk!" exclaimed Asriel as his arms took up the limp body of the child, his nose nuzzling her innocent expression of worry. "Frisk, don't leave us..." Asriel cried, tears falling into her face which twitched the moment it felt a tear hit against it.

" **Chara, do it!"** Vinnie demanded, but Chara only walked back and away from Asriel. She looked up a little, noticing that Papyrus seemed to be in utter shock while Sans seemed to be staring at her in a fit of rage, his blue eye flickering yellow and white in its unstable form.

There was no one to stop her from murdering everyone, except for that child whose split SOUL seemed to be trembling. Chara didn't show her that… Frisk was doing it on her own. Her DETERMINATION was growing! Frisk and herself really were more alike than they thought, huh? " **Our window of opportunity expires soon, DO IT**!"

This was the perfect chance. According to Vinnie's V.E.C., the percentage of killing Asriel right now was at an all-time high of 96.281%. Percentage of killing Sans and Papyrus before absorbing the SOULs was at 49.381%.

So why wasn't she attacking them?

She looked down at her trembling hand. She had just been looking down at Frisk a few seconds ago, and she had just… stopped. It was happening again. Why?

Why?!

WHY!?

Seconds passed. The percentages grew smaller and smaller, and Vinnie's voice continued to scream at her but it all seemed so far away. When Chara had looked up, she noticed the two halves of Frisk's SOUL trembling and slowly coming together.

"...but it refused..." Chara whispered, scene suddenly changing in an instant.

*********°*********•*********°*********

"N-No!" shouted Frisk, moving front of Chara as an orange beam disappeared out of nowhere. Behind her, Chara took a step back, her SOUL throbbing but feeling no orange beam unto herself. Papyrus had taken back his arm with fear in his eyes, scared of the power he had just called upon, but thankfully, had disappeared.

Sans and Asriel knew what had just happened. They remembered it.

"FRISK!" Shouted Asriel, watching as the girl turned around just in time to dodge Chara's knife which had swiped down. Chara appeared to look disturbed, her red eyes shaking just as much as her hands. She was forcing herself to do this.

She had to be. Frisk remembered her hesitation. Chara didn't want to do this either… but then why? Was it because of her past?

Frisk cleared her throat, continuing to sing with the melody around them. " 'I should just give up' and 'Everyone's afraid'? You're trying to keep me from fighting 'cause I know that _**you're**_ afraid. And even if you scream it, I can feel it in your blade~ Just give them a chance to welcome you back into their lives again!"

Chara clenched her teeth, plunging her knife down as she jumped towards Frisk who was snatched up by Papyrus once more. Instead of tasting blood, her blade hit the shield hard.

"STOP SHOWING ME MERCY!" Screeched Chara as black tears ran down her cheeks, her right eye intensifying as the black goop seemed to roll back inside. Opposite of her, Frisk seemed to take out a piece of butterscotch cinnamon pie, her eyes sparkling as she looked over Chara with a gentle smile. "Y-You like this pie, right?" She asked while Papyrus look baffled. What was Frisk doing now?

"IT'S NOT CHOCOLATE!" Cried out Chara as her left hand gripped her hair, her hand trembling out of control for some strange reason. **"Kill her now, Chara!"** shouted Vinnie inside her head.

"WOWIE!" Shouted Papyrus as he summoned his shield again, leaning against it with Frisk in his arms as Chara sent him one of the biggest black shockwaves she had made thus far. "UH OH. I'M SORRY, FRISK. SHE DESTROYED MY SHIELD!" Papyrus apologized as he leaped away, leaving behind a crumbling shield. "...ARE WE... TO FIGHT NOW?" asked Papyrus, noticing that Frisk looked concerned as well.

"...no. W-we can't fight her with you, Papyrus, you'll hurt her with your blaster. I'll face Chara alone now." Frisk spoke, jumping off and walking to the center, wiping her nose as she held her chin up, much like Chara.

 **"Kill her! Kill her NOW!"**

Chara slowly walked up to Frisk, her hand that held the knife trembling. She could just as easily give Vinnie control and that A.I would kill them all in cold blood which was what Chara wanted right? But… but why couldn't she? Why couldn't she kill them? Why couldn't she give Vinnie control either?

Frisk's voice began to sing once more. "Go ahead and kill me because you are able. I know your conscious weighs heavily on your hand. See it tremble with the knowledge I won't fight back—I'm nothing like people you've feared or fought from. I don't mean no harm; I wish you _all_ the best—If I could I'd carry what burdens your past…! I will keep trying, I might keep dying, but I won't give up on your soul... 'cause I am made of loooove~ And its stronger than you."

Asriel flinched as Chara's knife swooped down fast, faster than Frisk's reaction. He could see the ground's dust flying and Papyrus coughing, while Chara jumped back with a frustrated frown. As the dust settled, several yellow outlines of bullets surrounded Frisk and healed her. Sans had looked at Asriel with confusion. "What did you do?" he asked, watching as aqua blue orbs left his body and took shape of band aid's that surrounded Frisk as she ran to Chara. "Stay back, Papy!" Frisk called out to him, raising her right hand as the knife came down hard on the turtle buckler which had begun to crack, but the turquoise band aid seemed to heal not only Frisk, but the buckler as well.

 _"Show 'er some frontier bravery! Stand up tall!"_ called out a male kid's voice. _"K-keep strong! Don't be fragile like me!"_ said another girl's voice, both voices seeming to come from these phantom healing outlines.

"Looove~... and it's getting stronger than you." Frisk sang, smiling as her buckler continued to hold strong against Chara's powerful blade. Opposite of her, Chara clenched her teeth harder, shaking her head as Vinnie's voice got louder. **"Kill her! Kill her! KILL HER! If you can't, I WILL!"**

"GGGAAAHH! STOP IT!" Cried out Chara, supercharging her blade with a shockwave that sent Frisk flying back, but the child only got up. "S-s-s-stop m-m-m-maaking m-m-me f-f-f-ffeel..." stuttered Chara to herself, her left hand trembling violently as it moved her bangs, revealing the black goo had but nearly gone back unto its right eye. Her left eye was no longer glowing red with power, and only the right eye seemed to be intense. Several orbs of different colors lent their aid to Frisk whose HP had fallen dangerously close to 0... 0.00001 to be exact. Her breaths were shaky much like Chara's, and her SOUL had cracks that were healing thanks to the aid of the fallen children that Asriel harbored.

Frisk glanced at her friends, noticing their worry. Asriel in particular had a certain worry, not only for Frisk, but for Chara as well. " **I grow impatient, Chara. Kill the child and absorb the six SOULs from that spineless goat, or I'll do it myself!** " Commanded Vinnie's voice inside of Chara's head.

Of course Vinnie could it. She always could… she was a cold hearted A.I. who wanted to destroy the world. But Chara…? What did she want? What do I want…?

Chara let out a shaky sigh and smiled as she could only whisper to herself: "...I don't want to fight her... I love them, Vinnie."

"Chara… give us another chance!" Frisk called out with a shaky voice, her brown eyes watching as Chara fell down to her knees, her knife bouncing once both her hands grasped her head. "STOP TALKING, VINNIE!"

*********°*********•*********°*********

The End: Binary v. Chara

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Asriel and Sans regrouped with Frisk and Papyrus while the space around Chara got darker and darker. Glitches seemed to be appearing around her, and her body seemed to be moving in the most unnatural of ways. Her fingers and arms were at weird angles, but her head continued to hang low until finally, her body relaxed and her eyes glowed a bright blue. " **Synthetic Body Control Complete**. I warned you, Chara. Ugh. You've defaced my beautiful body, how careless of me. No matter. I will annihilate the world without your help, you useless whelp."

"...what the...?" Sans whispered, noticing that the voice sounded much like Vinnie's electronic voice. The hair grew longer and into a pearly white that reached the back of its knees, and the corrupted skin regrew a beautiful white that reminded him of Gaster's. In fact... everything looked a lot like Gaster now, except for those haunting blue eyes. "Hello. I'm Binary, model 4x-6ASTER.4.001, and I will destroy the world, beginning with the destruction of DETERMINATION. Goodbye." She smiled, her right hand turning into white scales with the head of a snake at the front—Experiment S-0389-3, if Sans was correct. A monster that Courier had experimented on, whose acid was deadly upon contact and that would deteriorate bones within a matter of seconds. This was _**REALLY**_ bad.

"Fuck off, Vinnie. I spared them, and you forget I still absorbed all that energy. I'm gonna put you down." Chara gritted as the dark energy that Vinnie had let out of her body amassed and pooled together to form a child version of Chara in tattered clothes, and full of cuts and bruises. Her red dagger sent a dark shockwave against the snake, splitting it half. "GAH!" Chara cried out, recoiling back as bits of acid splashed her way.

"We have to help her, Sans!" Frisk urged, but Sans' firm grip around her kept her still. "That android is dangerous, Frisk. If we get hit with that acid, we're dead. If you get hit, it's going to burn right through you. It burns through bones easily; do you understand?" Sans responded with fear in his voice.

"Azzy! Azzy, help me!" Cried out Chara as she hid her face, but tried hard to keep an eye on Vinnie whose left arm had begun to transform into an arm with steam coming from it. The split snake was slowly beginning to regrow from where it had been split, a small snake's head poking its head out as it slowly slid out and grew. "THAT... LOOKS BAD..." Papyrus said, noticing that Sans looked absolutely terrified, his hands shaking as they held Frisk. Knowing that he was no longer focusing on his grip, Frisk slid out of his grip and ran to Chara, leaving behind a terrified Sans who couldn't bring himself to running after her. **"Why? It's just a stupid machine... it's just... experiments... I... SHIT!"** Sans thought to himself, closing his eye sockets as he felt a wind go and dash to Frisk. **"FUCK! Not you too, Paps!"** His voice boomed inside his head, his blue eye flickering blue for a second, but turning back to its plain color. No use. Chara really did wear him out, huh?

Asriel was watching as Chara stumbled down, the smell of burning flesh around her. From the steaming left arm, several misty ropes flew out to Chara, each one grabbing her by the neck, arms and legs, pulling her back to Vinnie whose Snake had regenerated and who had snapped its head towards her exposed shoulder and neck area.

Chara was in trouble, and a split second decision had to be made.

Asriel rushed to Frisk, hoping that she would know what to do. After everything that happened... Asriel felt a bit weird being around Chara. Sure, his feelings for her were strong but after such a display of hatred, he couldn't help but drift away from Chara. "Do it, Papy!" Frisk shouted as she made a 45 degree turn and ran to Chara who cried in agony as the steam burned into her limbs. Asriel turned with Frisk, turning his head to see Papyrus' arm fly up and a dragon skull appearing with an orange beam, just as big as the last time he had fired it. Papyrus... was wicked strong it seemed. Alongside the dragon skull, another familiar skull appeared with a blue, concentrated beam and a dog whine. Snapping his head back to Sans, Asriel saw the struggling skeleton clenching his right side of the head as he focused on his power to aid Papyrus in any way he could.

Everything was happening so slowly for Asriel, now that he realized it. "Chara! Use me!" Frisk's voice said in slow motion, her small hand reaching for the cracking hand of Chara which seemed to twitch. "Frisk?" Asriel asked, watching in horror as Chara's body turned into a red mist that raveled around Frisk's arm and eventually turning her brown eyes a glowing red. "Trust us, Azzy." Spoke Frisk and Chara's voice, her hand held out to Asriel who didn't know what to think.

"I..." Asriel's voice trembled, his head turning to the impact of the two gaster blaster's hitting what looked like another beam of white light coming from a dragon skull much like Papyrus'. It was Beside Binary who looked to have panicked. She had a gaster blaster of her own.

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"Nggh..." Asriel moaned, opening his eyes to a metal android stripped of its skin and clutching Frisk by the neck before throwing her aside. "Chara... did you really think you could double cross me?" asked Vinnie, taking a step forward as a glitching Chara appeared from the red mist that had left Frisk's body.

Asriel lay still, listening to their conversation while looking to Papyrus and Sans. They seemed unconscious too. Papyrus looked to be protecting Sans, a good thing too—Sans' SOUL looked ready to crack.

"Frisk is right... I should give this world a chance again. Grillby had started to accept me—" Chara spoke, but was silenced by the robotic hand that slapped her cut cheek and sent her down unto the floor. Black drops of blood spilled from the corner of her lips and right eye, her arms trembling as she tried to get up, but instead a robotic foot stomped down on her chest as she attempted to rise. "Emotions are values that can easily be forgotten, like memories and data. Look at you, beginning to glitch out of existence, just like Aster. Die for me—And say hi to Aster for me, darling." Vinnie spoke with anticipation, her foot coming up and stomping down on Chara's chest once more.

Asriel got up, his eyes wide as Chara's body glitched with 0's and 1's. She looked to be in so much pain. _"Trust us, Azzy."_ sounded in the back of his mind.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Shouted Asriel, all the SOULs beating to the beat of his heart as he sent rainbow stars towards the android, effectively getting her off of Chara who coughed up black goo. "...thanks Azzy..." Chara croaked, getting up and wiping away the black blood, her limbs glitching again. "I will not be the next Gaster..." Chara growled, running to Vinnie who smirked and also ran to Chara. Asriel stepped forward but stopped when the ground began to tremble and quake violently. "...the lava..." Asriel whispered, noticing a huge chunk of floor falling down and hitting the lava beneath with a big splash. The volcano was bound to erupt soon, for the first time in monster recorded history.

Vinnie stepped back, watching as Chara grinned. "Luck be the lady... who doesn't fall to her death, huh, Vinnie? If you fall down, you'll fry. My demonic aura would simply vanish, of course, I _could_ just float back up here." Chara threatened.

"Try me." Vinnie countered, running to Chara exchanging a throw of fists and kicks that Chara could not guard against. Her limbs were stronger and tougher. "Azzy... Hyperdeath me!" Screamed Chara, her hands grabbing the neck of the android as another huge chunk of ground fell down into the lava. Beside the two fighters, a huge hole that led down opened an opportunity.

"Irrelevant. He would not harm you, even in your phantasm state." Vinnie responded with a smile, glancing at the goat who seemed scared. Vinnie's hands grasped Chara by the neck, causing the demon to let go and gasp for air but with a snicker on her lips. "...bye..." she mouthed, causing the android to turn to the goat who wielded two rainbow colored swords. "HyyyyyperDEATH!" Shouted Asriel as his hands began to glow a rainbow of colors.

Letting go of Chara, Vinnie bent down and grasped the earth so as to keep her anchored, but the rainbow blast was much harder than anticipated. Her blue eyes flashed and inside, her internal gadget doing its work. _**"V.E.C. Data Results: Surviving blast: 91.453%. Possession by C.H.A.R.A: 57.192%. Falling down: 31.482%. Unstable ground: 83.561%. Best option: Survive and LOAD… NEW INPUT Data Results: Successful Possession by C.H.A.R.A with SOUL: 87.893%. Successful Possession by C.H.A.R.A without SOUL: 1.484%. Thank you for using V.E.C."**_

The beam was super big. It was nothing like when he had used it against Frisk... no. It was much bigger version, perhaps two or three times bigger and with vivid colors. He could hear Vinnie's electronic voice turn to static as it screamed and the earth around her began to crack under the pressure of the attack, rainbow flames scorching everything in its path until the earth crumbled and fell under the intense heat and pressure. Two white blocks fell down with her… 'LOAD' and 'RESET', both of these blocks well away from her grasp. He saw a red heart sitting on the edge of the ground.

Asriel walked towards the scorched bits of the ground, looking down and seeing a hand reach out from the lava as it sunk down slowly.

"...thanks for trusting me again, Azzy." Chara spoke, her body reappearing and looking at the goat who looked back at her with uncertain eyes. "...Chara, I... I don't trust you. I trust Frisk, and she trusted you. If you're really going to help her... return your SOUL and stabilize their world."

Asriel looked at the glitching phantom who held unto a red SOUL which had white scars throughout it. "…she threw it out of her system because she probably thought I was going to possess her metal body and this would make it easier for me…" Chara responded with a laugh, her smile disappearing. "...I forgot it was scarlet red. I forgot what freedom felt like." Chara answered, her hand caressing the SOUL and feeling the caress on her arm. "...Frisk returned my faith, and I guess I should return the favor... huh?" Chara added, looking up and locking eyes. "Before I do that... Azzy, you have to destroy the barrier. Don't worry, I won't go homicidal on you. Here… hold on to this SOUL if you don't trust me."

Asriel gulped, but did as he was told while taking Chara's SOUL, noticing that Chara had been watching him the entire time and had smiled when he had finished. "...Azzy, before everything goes back to normal and I disappear forever... I... I cared about you too, silly goat."

Her sparkling red eyes stared deeply into his as she got closer to him. His breath hitched as she was within arm's reach, the corners of her mouth slowly forming into a smile as she closed in their distance. "Boop." She whispered, her hot breath against his face as her finger gently pressed on the tip of his nose. All the anger he had inside of him had suddenly disappeared in that moment, his heart throbbing as he stared down into her eyes and smile with a wild blush about him. He was certain Chara was having fun… she always loved to make him fluster.

Silently, Asriel watched as Chara turned into a red mist that went inside of Frisk's body.

Everything went back to white.

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Epilogue: Part 1

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"Frisk..." Asriel spoke with a gentle voice, looking at the girl who looked back at him with innocent eyes.

Just a few minutes ago, he had broken the barrier, and Chara had RESET using Frisk's body while she was knocked out. The world around them had gone back to being untouched, and the ground was certainly not quaking. Looking deeply into those eyes... Asriel could see that Chara was not there. She said she was going to disappear... did she really disappear? Human souls, once they died, could carry on unto a different plane of existence where they'd... rest in peace. Did Chara... ascend?

"I have to go now." Asriel added with a gentle voice. "Without the power of everyone's souls... I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while... I'll turn back into a flower. I'll stop being 'myself'. I'll stop being able to feel love again. So... Frisk." Asriel explain, noticing that the girl had begun to get teary-eyed. She probably didn't remember anything that had happened earlier. He hoped she wouldn't. She might take Chara's leaving hard. "It's best if you forget about me, OK? Just go be with the people who love you." He smiled, choking up on the last part.

Frisk's head was aching, for some strange reason. She felt that she should remember something very important, but, for some strange reason, she could not. Instead, the locket around her neck seemed warmer than the usual, and it seemed to be pulling her towards Asriel. He did look quite sad, after all. Was there no way to save him too?

Save... save who too?

Confused by the pain in her head, Frisk could only comfort Asriel with a hug. His hot tears rolling unto her shoulders were exchanged for her own, because for some strange reason, she felt like crying. Cry... for who?

"Ha... Ha... I don't want to let go..." Asriel whispered, his arms trembling as he took a deep breath and let go. _"Heh... I don't want to let go..."_

Frisk perked up for a moment, hearing Chara's voice in the back of her mind. It felt... like deja vu.

"Frisk... You're... You're going to do a great job, OK? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you, okay? Well..." Asriel reassured her, turning around as his smile was slowly diminishing. "My time's running out. Goodbye."

Walking away, he could feel Frisk take a step forward. "Asriel..." she whispered with a sad tone. He turned around with a smile, noticing that it seemed to brighten her up, if just a little. "By the way... Frisk... take care of mom and dad for me, OK?"

Turning around once more, Asriel could feel a bit of fear for the rest of what was to come. He was going to go back to being a grouchy, ill-mannered flower again, wasn't he? But...

Closing his eyes, he could relieve that moment. Chara's beautiful ruby eyes looking at him with a smile, just for him.

Everything was going to be alright.

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"Frisk! This is just all a bad dream...! Please, wake up!" urged Toriel's voice.

Slowly opening her eyes, the girl looked around her and saw all of her friends huddled around, looking quite concerned... Sans in particular.

"Oh! You are awake! Thank goodness!" Toriel gushed, embracing her child as hard as she could. Frisk could still feel her head aching, but her necklace felt cold to the touch. "W-we were so worried...! It felt like you were out forever!" Dr. Alphys added, turning to look at Undyne who got got closer with a smile. "Yeah. Any longer and I would have freaked out! Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?" Undyne chimed in.

Frisk turned to look at Sans who smiled. He wasn't... grinning. He was smiling, but she could also see a bit of worry in his eye sockets. "yeah. you made papyrus cry like a baby."

Papyrus gave him an angry look. "WHAT! I DIDN'T CRY! I DON'T CRY! I JUST... CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE."

Sans looked over to his brother. "what did you catch?" he asked, his smile growing as he watching his brother's angry expression turn into a sappy one. "TEARS!"

Frisk laughed, her attention turning over to a deep voice. "Now, now. The important part is that Frisk is alright. Here Frisk, why not drink some tea?" King Asgore spoke, handing Frisk a warm cup of golden flower tea. "It'll make you feel better." Asgore added with a smile that sparkled.

Toriel looked at Asgore. "Errr… how about we give them space first? They must be very exhausted. Though, from what, I am not certain. Frisk… we do not remember exactly what happened. There was a flower… then everything went white. But now the barrier is gone. When you are ready, we will all return to the surface. It seems the door to the east will lead us there now. But before then… you might want to take a walk? You can say goodbye to all your wonderful friends. Do as you wish. We will all wait for you here."

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Epilogue: Part 2

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While Frisk took once last adventure, Sans left the room and saw Grillby, standing tall. "...Frisk did it, huh?" asked Grillby, noticing the genuine smile on Sans. "Yeah. She did... I.. I was really scared for a moment, though. I thought I lost you, Grillbz." Sans' husky voice spoke, his hand trembling as it patted Grillby's arm. It was real.

Grillby looked at him with a look of concern. "...what happened? Did Frisk LOAD?" asked Grillby, stepping forward and following Sans who had begun to walk. "...yeah. Chara and Vinnie—Shit! We need to destroy that computer!"

Grillby's eyes widened as the world around them changed, and they were in Sans' lab. Dizzy, Grillby took a few steps to the nearest wall and leaned on it, watching as Sans took off the cover on rectangle box.

"Sans?" asked Grillby, watching as he connected a plug to his own version of a super computer. "We're killing her. Throwing her into the freakin' lava, just let me make a copy of all the files. She won't be able to manifest her AI protocols on my computer. Definitely not going to turn into an android. Nope. No way. Never."

Grillby was speechless for a while, walking beside Sans who watched as all the files were being transferred and deleted at the same time. "...an android? The one we were talking about a while back? I thought you wanted to—" began to ask Grillby, but Sans quickly shook his head. "Noooo way. I've seen the model, the schematics... I'll just build one from scratch if I wanted to make an android. We need to let this android burn in the deepest parts of hell. Vinnie... Vinnie almost won. I don't remember a lot, yeah, but... but I definitely remember all that I need to remember."

"...and Chara?"

"Chara..." Sans spoke, his eyes drifting to the smooth box. "...she did the right thing, for the first time at least. Let's never bring her up, okay?" asked Sans, walking to the counter with the hot chocolate. Pressing the 'ON' button, he then reached for his glasses and put them on, tape and all. "...I don't... sound too weird, right?" he asked, turning to Grillby who tried to hide his laughter. "Heh, not at all, Mr. Serious Science Sans, sir."

Letting out a sigh, Sans shrugged. "heh. maybe you're right. everyone's used to me being lazy and uncaring. i guess i should slowly make the transition."

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Back in the True Lab, Chara's ghost sat in the middle of the room, staring at the machine that housed her SOUL.

"You did the right thing, child." spoke a familiar voice, her angelic appearance a sight for sore eyes. Beside her, a looming shadow stood, his face hidden in the shadows. "One of us now, aren't you? How quaint. Florencia has asked me politely to keep myself from harming you, demon." spoke Gaster, his electronic voice full of static as he spoke, but Chara understood him.

"...is it always this cold? Being in the void?" asked Chara, letting out a breath that she could see with her eyes. Gaster walked towards her, his elegant appearance looking much like what he had appeared to look like before he had fallen down. "No. You're just like her. Full of heat. Your grudge against humanity caused your ghost to tie itself to the human realm but now… now you're like her. Scientifically speaking, Human souls that choose to stay in this plane of existence become phantoms. Certain phantoms seem to exhibit an unexplainable phenomenon that causes them to 'power up' and become other beings that resemble monsters. Florencia has become what humans call a 'guardian angel', and thrives from heat and positive energy. You, my demonic child, took the opposite effect. You became a demon who thrived from dark energy and grew powerful enough to possess the living... however, due to recent events it seems that your 'demonic aura' has vanished and therefore your phantasm has disappeared, rendering you harmless. Your grudge has been resolved and as a result, you've entered my realm… the void. You're just a spirit like Florencia now, it seems. A pity. I was looking forward to ripping your spirit to shreds."

Florencia frowned, pushing Gaster aside very lightly as she offered Chara a hand. "It's very lonely here in this plane, but... but think of it this way, my child: your SOUL still exists, and Frisk won't stop until you are given a second chance, much like little Asriel."

Chara looked down at the hand, her red eyes slowly looking up until she met Florencia's gentle brown. This was where Frisk got her kindness from, huh? Grasping the hand, Chara got up. "A second chance...? I can understand Azzy getting a second chance, but—wait a minute. _**How would that even be possible**_?"

Florencia turned to Gaster who looked away with a frown. "...my dunce of a son is figuring a way to build an android that can house both human and monsters SOULs. He thinks that Asriel and Arial can still be saved."

Chara took her hand back, looking at the hand that was etched with old scars from a time so long ago. "...Fufu was waiting for me on the other side. Was someone waiting for you too, Florencia?"

Gaster flinched for a moment, noticing that Chara appeared quite somber. Fufu... Fufu... Ah, Fufu the street dog that Chara had adopted as a child. The one that had been killed, triggering the child. A street dog was waiting for Chara to cross over...? My. Only a beast could come to love another beast it seems. Not even her sister Tara was there.

"Ah, yes. My Papa y Mama, my brother Juju and his son. They were all begging me to cross, but I could not leave my little Flor all alone. I can still hear them calling my name... but I will not rest until I know for certain my little girl is truly safe and sound. "

Chara looked at Gaster. "...and why are you so quiet? The last time we saw each other, you were crazy."

Gaster crossed his arms. "Realizing that this world was almost completely destroyed by a hormonal girl and a defective A.I., I began to look at Frisk with a new perspective. Respect even. And... I suppose doing the right thing was something that also impressed me, Chara. I... I apologize for wanting to kill you and for using you for my research."

Chara turned and looked at the machine that housed her SOUL. "I guess not letting go was worth it, for now. I can hear Fufu barking for me every now and then too, but... but I guess I want to see what Frisk accomplishes. Thank you for the welcome party, guys." Chuckled Chara, turning to Gaster who looked away and Florencia who smiled warmly.

Even Chara couldn't undo the mistakes she had done, or repair them herself; she knew that Frisk would do it. She was going to patch up everything she had destroyed in the wake of her wrath. Finally at peace, Chara could smile.

 **"Heh. I guess this is my new family, for now."**

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Final Epilogue: A new beginning

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 _"I'm ready." Frisk had said a few moments ago._

The small group of monsters had followed her to the outside where a bright light called to them. Sounds birds and wildlife echoed, and after the blinding light had died down, they were in awe.

"...Tori..." Asgore whispered to himself, watching as she smiled from ear to ear and walked forward until she was at the edge. "I'm really here..." she whispered, noticing that Frisk was now beside her. "It's been a year..." Frisk gasped, looking down and noticing that everyone was now in a line, with Sans beside Toriel. He looked dazzled by the sight of it. After countless tales of the surface... he was finally here.

"Oh my..." Toriel finally said aloud, a tear falling down unto the earth. "Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" asked Asgore, trying to contain the happiness within him.

Dr. Alphys nodded in agreement. "Wow... it's e-even better than on TV! WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!"

Undyne could feel the heat of this light, but the air seemed to refresh her nonetheless. "Frisk, you LIVE with this!? The sunlight is so nice... and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!"

Frisk laughed, turning to Papyrus who seemed confused. "HEY SANS... WHAT'S THAT BALL OF LIGHT?"

Sans chuckled. "we call that 'the sun' my friend." Sans turned to see Papyrus' eyes, noticing his pupils turning into stars as he grinned. "THAT'S THE SUN!? WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!"

Ah... if only his mother could see this.

Asgore let a sigh of happiness escape him. "I could stand here and watch this for hours..." His eyes glanced towards Toriel who smiled, her eyes darting back to the sun. "Yes, it is beautiful, is it not? But we should really think about what comes next."

Asgore nodded. "Oh, right. Everyone... this is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters. Frisk... I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our Ambassador to the humans?"

Frisk looked at the sunset, realizing that now they had reached the surface... the monsters... they'd... they'd had to live with her ugly reality. The era of peace that Frisk had lived underground was over. She turned and looked at Asgore, his eyes sparkling with hope that she could not let down. As ugly as her world was... well... she had to try her best to make sure the monsters were safe. This country that she had moved to... it was isolated. She could help the monsters start again. Keep the bad humans away... possibly.

Frisk had to try.

"Yes, I'll be your Ambassador, King Asgore." Frisk replied, her mind barely comprehending the complicated train of thought she had just processed. She was beginning to think responsibly already it seemed. Would her mother be proud?

"YEAH! FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION."

Frisk watched as Papyrus took off. "N-No!" Frisk exclaimed with fear in her voice. "welp. someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys." Sans casually said, walking away while Frisk shook her head. "No wait, come back! It's dangerous! W-we need to stick together!" Frisk spoke urgently, noticing that Undyne was smiling. "Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING? Papyrus, wait!" Frisk gulped, watching as Dr. Alphys blushed. "Hey Undyne! Wait up!"

Asgore watched as Dr. Alphys left after Undyne. "Whoops." His gentle voice said as he moved aside, turning his head as he watched the monsters disappear. He glanced over to Toriel whose eyes seemed to be clouded with deep thoughts… what was she thinking about?

He noticed the way her eyes glanced at him, and so he turned to her and Frisk. "Uh, should I do something?" he asked, gulping hard as her glance turned into an angry glare. "Well, gotta go!"

Quickly, King Asgore turned around and hurried in the direction of Undyne, Dr. Alphys and Papyrus, pretending not to hear the little girl's warning.

Alone at last, Toriel's mind could finally decipher her jumbled thoughts. "It seems that everyone is eager to set off." She spoke, noticing that Frisk seemed nervous. "Frisk… You came from this world, right…? So you have a place to return to, do you not?" asked Toriel, noticing that Frisk's nervousness had disappeared and had been replaced with sad eyes. So… she did.

Frisk looked at Toriel. "What will you do now?" Toriel had asked her, and Frisk could only turn to the beautiful sunset in front of her. Her home... her... papa...

Should she go back? But it's been a year—perhaps a few days in the real world, since magic goes so slow…? Her papa might still be around. Still… he was… really angry the last time she attempted to go to him. Would he always be mad at her? What about those two body guards? Where they worried about her too?

Still… what about her new family? She couldn't leave them. She couldn't leave anyone behind. Her eyes slowly looked down, her head turning back into the cave that lead to the underground. She couldn't leave _**anyone**_ behind.

It was decided. "...I want to stay with you, Mama Toriel. Please! Let me stay with you and everyone… let's… stay underground just a little longer before we move everyone upground." begged Frisk, her eyes stinging as tears filled them. From a distance, Undyne called to them. Toriel looked at her with a blush. "What? Frisk... You really are a funny child. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened. It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind. Hee hee hee. Well... I suppose. If you do not really have any other place to go... I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need. All right? Now come along. Everyone is waiting for us!"

Frisk took her hand, her head turning to the sun set. Her magical journey in the underground was really over now. After meeting up with everyone else, they were going to go back and prepare the mass migration up ground.

The surface world was nothing like what the monsters thought it was, and it frightened Frisk. Guns, violence, lust, and vice was prevalent in this world. Wars were... on the horizon. Pollution was at an all-time high.

But Bergentrückung?

Frisk looked at the clouds as they walked. This country was poor and inhabited by natives. No power had taken over this mysterious continent because of its volcano. Every time someone took over, their capital was destroyed by an eruption. Only farmers and ranchers lived here, but they were all superstitious. They believed that Satan lived in the mountain and controlled the volcano inside of it. That this was its land. Others, mostly everyone that lived in San Marcus believed it was sacred land, that their ancestors fought to keep safe from the eastern countries. That the ancestral spirits would cause eruptions to keep the easterners away.

One thing was certain for Frisk: Bergentrückung would raise again, and she was going to do her best to keep the monsters safe, whatever the cost.

... ...

... ... ...

... little did Frisk know, that Binary code was everywhere. Their world was just another piece of data in a network of worlds connected by the same idea which could be traced to one name: Toby Fox.

The multi-verse of Undertale awaited. In another alternate timeline within Flor's universe, Arial and Steamy were hard at work to finding their happily ever after and Vinnie...?

Vinnie was waiting for an opportunity to arise. Multi-Verse 4X-6ASTER-PvW was still thriving.

Everyone's future… was yet to be written.

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Puppy Barks:

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Aaaaaaaand that was the final *love ending! I was supposed to write another one (which didn't have a sequel and ended with an epilogue like the first *love ending, though entirely different and more like this story) but I think it's better if I just kept the happy endings to two.

I hope that ending was better than the last one (trust me, I had a HARD time writing the first one. I felt really bad about Chara ;-;!) And hopefully this chapter closes a few of the plot holes I had left. Just a few.

This *love ending will get its sequel! Of course I wasn't going to leave it at that. I hope not that many spoilers were given in the last chapter I submitted (lol, I'ma have to change it up for the sequel just a little.) Also, I kinda wish I could change the name of the au to Underbloom (Get it? Flor bloomed underground?) but I think that name is taken. wwaaaaa. ;-;! Does FlorenceTale sound too weird? I mean Florence means bloom too but… idk.

I know in the past I've said that this story was meant to revolve around Chara, so… I hope that I pulled it off in this chapter. I know this chapter is SUPER long, but hopefully… it delivered? Sequel will come out sometime this year.

BUUUT this story is NOT OVER YET! I still have a few *DETERMINATION sequel chapters to write, where a new champion rises up to change the fate of their timeline. But… who?

 _ **I might**_ even decide to make a sequel to one of the *DETERMINATION sequels ;)

DUN DUN DUN!

And after that… the dreaded *LOVE sequel. I can already feel my heart breaking just thinking about it.

Anyways. I'm sorry I've been late to post these chapters, but they're HUGE, and… it takes some effort to piece them together. The next chapter might take a while too. Sorry guys ;-;

As always, thank you SO much for the reviews and support. I was feeling a bit down early on in this fanfic since I didn't get as many reviews. I was extremely blue this new year's, but then I got an email with the review someone left and it just… made my day. :) My birthday was four days later, so… it was nice to have something to make me smile for a change. Thank you, really. Love you all.

-PvW

P.S.: I have a deviantART account, and I might add this to it since... its pretty bare. I dunno. The account name is the same as this one I think lol. I dunno why I picked such a weird name. oh well.


	15. Public Service Annoucement

Hi everyone.

Just wanted to announce that I just posted the prelude to the sequel of this fanfic ( based on the *love: The Angel ending). I would also like to take the time to apologize about not posting the *DETERMINATION or the *LOVE endings. Things in my life have changed drastically once more and I find myself lacking in time. I'm sorry but I'm leaving those two endings in an indefinite hiatus. I hope that you will understand. I can't properly give myself the time or the effort to put together a nice chapter ending that I can post on here, but when I do, I'll be sure to post it. Because of this, I will not set this fanfic as completed. I'll try to get those chapters done.

As for the sequel, I'll try to write and post as much as I can, and I apologize in advance if its not up to par what I've done in the past.

I know a lot of you wanted a happy ending...

But its not over yet :)

Thank you everyone who has supported me. It really means a lot guys. Also, this fanfic will go on deviantart soon enough. I thought why not. OH my goodness.

Well, that's the announcement. I'm sorry if you got this alert and expected a chapter. I'm really, really sorry ;-;

I hope you have a nice day out there reader! :)

-PvW


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